Amidst the high prices of food and food insecurity in Ghana, Economist, Professor Godfred Bokpin has impugned the government's Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.
He opined that the high inflation recorded in Africa, of which Ghana is no exception can be attributed to the hike in food prices.
Speaking on News 360 on TV3 Tuesday, July 18, 2023, Professor Bokpin said this was the opportune time for the government to demonstrate the efficacy of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme to absorb this global shock.
He however said that since the introduction of this PFJ programme, it has, just like many other flagship programmes benefitted the privileged few.
Professor Bokpin said, “...the perfect feedback of government’s intervention of Planting for Food and Jobs is actually this global shock."
“If we had done it well, we would have seen the true effect of that policy intervention. The most important question we need to ask the government is that, where is the food and where are the jobs? This is the time to demonstrate the efficacy of that intervention. But as you can see, like many other flagship programmes, it actually benefitted the privileged few while the majority look on,” the economist stated.
Per information available from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Planting for Food and Jobs noted that the flagship agricultural campaign was launched on April 19, 2017.
With five (5) implementation modules, the first module PFJ (Crops), according to government aims to promote food security and immediate availability of selected food crops on the market and also provide jobs.
The five Modules are:
•Food Crops (PFJ)
•Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD)
•Greenhouse Technology Villages (3 Villages)
•Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ)
•Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMSECs)
Meanwhile, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said the governing New Patriotic Party has created 2.1 million jobs for Ghanaians.
He explained that out of the 2.1 million jobs created, 1.2 million were in the public sector whiles 975,000 were in the private sector.
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Economist, Professor Godfred Bokpin