President's State Of The Nation Address Delivered In Parliament
Characterised by heckling from some members of Parliament and occasional humorous interventions by the President, the State of the Nation Address touched on all sectors of the economy. Issues raised included reduction of inflation, stabilisation of the exchange rate, tax reduction and choking of the economy by huge debts. For the business sector, the reduction of inflation and taxes as well as the stabilisation of the exchange rate were most welcome because the economy needs to encourage business growth. One problem, however, was the huge debts that have to be paid to free the economy and encourage it to perform soundly. The President also referred to protection of the public purse which is necessary to ensure that monies that often leak into private pockets are gathered to promote national economic growth. The ‘Free SHS’ introduced by government and the payment of some of the outstanding debts have all been possible due to the saving of money in this manner. It is good news that last year 800million Ghana Cedis was saved from the procurement process. If this trend should continue the nation would be able to save much more money to boost activities in the health and education sectors as well as other areas like transport and road construction.
Based on the positive performance of the economy, it comes as no surprise that economic growth increased from 3.6% percent to about 8% last year. Continuous growth is needed to ensure economic stability and tremendous improvement in the welfare of the people. As a result of the solid micro-economic fundamentals, the economy has been described by many local and international experts as fast-growing. It is also good that industrial growth has moved from negative to positive levels. This trend ought to continue if the industrial sector is to experience rapid growth and absorb the teeming unemployed youth.
The State of the Nation Address was reassuring so the various agencies would have to work hard to overcome the numerous developmental issues affecting the country. For instance, actions on Bills for ranches ought to be expedited by Parliament to bring peace regarding the operations of nomadic herdsmen. Similarly, Ghanaians should not allow the degradation of lands in any part of the country. It is for this reason that the President’s reference to the determination to prevent the degradation of lands in the country is also welcoming news. The fight against crime must continue unabated. The release of millions of Ghana cedis to enable the police fight crime sounds encouraging. Again, cyber security is an issue that should not be taken for granted. The fight in this direction ought to be strengthened so that people will feel safe. There is no doubt that the country is faced with numerous economic difficulties but with one accord, unity and a common sense of purpose the country can easily overcome any of the difficulties it is facing at the moment.
Instead of engaging in needless attacks, controversies and fights with one another, the people ought to note that they have nowhere to go but support the President and his team to improve conditions in the country. For this reason, all Ghanaians, whether in government or not have to contribute their quota to make the country great and prosperous as we all expect it to be.
BY: DR. KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, GHANA STANDARDS AUTHORITY.
Based on the positive performance of the economy, it comes as no surprise that economic growth increased from 3.6% percent to about 8% last year. Continuous growth is needed to ensure economic stability and tremendous improvement in the welfare of the people. As a result of the solid micro-economic fundamentals, the economy has been described by many local and international experts as fast-growing. It is also good that industrial growth has moved from negative to positive levels. This trend ought to continue if the industrial sector is to experience rapid growth and absorb the teeming unemployed youth.
The State of the Nation Address was reassuring so the various agencies would have to work hard to overcome the numerous developmental issues affecting the country. For instance, actions on Bills for ranches ought to be expedited by Parliament to bring peace regarding the operations of nomadic herdsmen. Similarly, Ghanaians should not allow the degradation of lands in any part of the country. It is for this reason that the President’s reference to the determination to prevent the degradation of lands in the country is also welcoming news. The fight against crime must continue unabated. The release of millions of Ghana cedis to enable the police fight crime sounds encouraging. Again, cyber security is an issue that should not be taken for granted. The fight in this direction ought to be strengthened so that people will feel safe. There is no doubt that the country is faced with numerous economic difficulties but with one accord, unity and a common sense of purpose the country can easily overcome any of the difficulties it is facing at the moment.
Instead of engaging in needless attacks, controversies and fights with one another, the people ought to note that they have nowhere to go but support the President and his team to improve conditions in the country. For this reason, all Ghanaians, whether in government or not have to contribute their quota to make the country great and prosperous as we all expect it to be.
BY: DR. KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, GHANA STANDARDS AUTHORITY.
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