Economic rebound to happen ‘sooner than anticipated’ - Akufo-Addo reassures

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at the weekend completed a 2-day tour of the Central Region with a promise of ensuring that the Ghanaian economy bounces back.

Despite the difficult obstacles, he said that government will continue to implement crucial fiscal and economic measures to promote development and prosperity sooner than anticipated.

According to him, despite inheriting an economy with the lowest growth rate in the Fourth Republic of Ghana’s history, his government had a history of putting Ghana in a position to become one of the fastest-rising economies in the world.

The president said, “the first year we came into office we launched the planting for food and jobs programme, the free Senior high school program, 1D1F; all these are critical flagship programmes of this second NPP government were all done when we were under the IMF program which was not of our design and if today we are again going to the IMF which will have our imprint on it, how can we sacrifice these same policies; no we will not do it.”

On the free SHS, the president noted that he is willing to engage in a national discussion about the government’s Free SHS initiative adding that such a discussion ought to cover funding, accessibility, and sustainability.

“Am all for it if there are suggestions that are made about we can improve the system … So if there is someone who has ideas on how to make the system better for the children to benefit, why am I going to stand in the way?” He questioned.

The tour which started at Kasoa had the president cutting the sod for the construction of the 16-kilometer Bawjiase-Kasoa road valued at ninety-three million, nine hundred and forty-five thousand, seven hundred and fifty-three Ghana cedis (GHC 93,940,753)

He also inspected the court complex at Ofaakor in the constituency, commissioned the APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company at Awutu Chochoe, and the Rikpat Lube MFG Limited at Gomoa Fetteh Junction, both under the One District One Factory.

There was also an inspection of a hospital project at Gomao Afranse, under Agenda 111, an inspection of the rehabilitation works on the Komenda Sugar Factory, and the Elmina Fishing Port, which is 90.5 complete.

At Gomoa Afranse, the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare said the central region has seven Agenda 111 sites and all of the sites are in rural areas which seek to improve the quality of health.

“If you look at the seven projects that we are doing, they are almost not in the urban districts but in the rural districts; so you can see the sort of quality of work that we are going to have in these districts and the quality of health is improved,” he said

President Akufo Addo also paid a courtesy call on four chiefs, inspected the Infectious Diseases Centre at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, commissioned the Central Regional House of Chiefs building, and finally joined the chiefs and people of Cape Coast at the grand durbar to conclude the Fetu Afahye.

He was accompanied by the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Stephen Ntim, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kyerematen and Regional Integration, former Director General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Mr. Samuel Asamoah Boateng among others.

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