President Nana Akufo-Addo says the most effective and efficient way to develop the country is through partnership with the private sector.
He has also made a commitment towards the task of creating a policy framework to establish a track record of consistency in growing the Ghanaian economy.
The president expressed those views during an interaction with a delegation from the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) that called on him at the seat of government on Wednesday.
The AGI is the most influential business advocacy grouping in Ghana with over 1500 membership strength drawn from all sectors of the economy. It has been in existence for well over 56 years with a rich history of influencing policy direction of governments in the private sector.
The AGI delegation was led by its president, James Asare-Adu, and included its Chief Executive Seth Twum Akwaboah, some past presidents of the association as well as some of its current executives.
Managing Director of Unilever Ghana, Yeo Ziobeieton, Chief Executive Officer of Tullow Ghana, Charles Darko and Managing director of Nestle, Freda Duplan and other industry captains were part of the AGI delegation.
The association congratulated the president on his election to the high office and signaled its commitment to a dialogue with his government on how to grow the private sector. Issues bordering on export development, tax reduction, the reclassification of utility tariffs, provision of stable power and a commitment to work towards the reduction of interest rates were discussed. The AGI also expressed the desire to develop a platform for continuous engagement with government on private sector issues.
They lauded the one – district one – factory policy initiative and implored the government to consult the association on the implementation process.
President Akufo-Addo expressed gratitude for the AGI’s support and challenged them to explore new ways by which government and the private sector could work together more effectively to grow the economy.
He assured that his government is fully committed to a future where the creativity and enterprise of the Ghanaian are unearthed and harnessed. He was convinced that streamlining the national identification system of the country would go a long way to facilitate the formalization of economic activity in the country.
Minister designate for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, said they are committed to improving the competitiveness of existing companies and hinted of a stimulus package to support selected companies to consolidate their production base. He also signaled about the setting up of a project team to work on anchor industries.
Mr. Kyerematen wants to encourage the expansion of Domestic Trade and the development of industrial parks in all 10 regions of the country. He also talked about support for small businesses, tax reforms and the facilitation of an annual public/private sector summit.
