A New Patriotic Party (NPP) government will follow examples of advanced economies by ensuring that Ghana’s economic landscape is dominated by micro and small-scale enterprises, flagbearer of the party, Nana Akufo-Addo has promised.
He noted that millions of jobs have been created for the citizenry “in the economies of the United States of America, the European Union, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, India, Korea, and South Africa through the dominance of small and medium scale enterprises on the economic landscapes.”
Citing the example of Germany, the world’s fourth largest economy according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the NPP flagbearer explained that “virtually all German businesses are small to medium-sized industries”.
He added that: “3.6 million small industries provide more than 60% of all jobs in Germany’s mighty economy.”
“That is a compelling example for us”, he said, stressing that “we will follow this example by expanding opportunities for small businesses in agro-processing, agribusiness, light manufacturing and industrial activity.”
Nana Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, August 8, 2016, in Tamale, when he addressed an extraordinary general meeting of the Association of Small Scale Industries (ASSI).
Fully aware of the importance of the small scale business sector to the growth of Ghana’s economy, the three-time flagbearer noted that the NPP remains committed to making a decisive effort to induatrialise the country.
“You have heard me speak about our policy of ‘1-District-1-Factory’. It is an integral part of our policy of rapid industrial development. We have identified over 300 projects across the 216 districts of the country to bring this policy into fruition. We are going to do it, and, in so doing, we will give a major boost to the activities of micro and small-scale enterprises in the country.
He continued: “The 1-District-1-Factory policy will go hand-in-hand with our resolve to stimulate private sector investment into a number of strategic, anchor industries – iron and steel, cement, bauxite and aluminum, petrochemical industry, vehicle assembly and the manufacture of machine parts and equipment.”
This, he said, will also open up huge opportunities for small scale businesses, adding that “it is this process of rapid industrialisation that will help to create the hundreds of thousands of jobs needed by the masses of unemployed Ghanaian youths.”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
