Believe Akufo-Addo if he says he will turn the economy around – NPP’s Alfred Thompson

A member of the national communications team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alfred Thompson has said Mr Akufo-Addo has the record of tackling the economic challenges facing Ghanaians.

To that end, he said, the assurance given by the President to resolve the current challenges should be embraced.

Speaking on the Key Points show on TV3 Saturday August 20, he said he believes in the president’s ability ability due to his past records.

“I believe him if he says we are going to get out of the doldrums because he has done it before,” Mr Thompson said.

President Akufo-Addo has said that the government has not thrown its hands in despair due to the challenges. He said the government is determined to bring relief to Ghanaians.

“The Akufo-Addo government has not thrown its hands up in despair at this development. We are determined to bring relief to the Ghanaian people, and return the economy back to the high rates of growth that characterised the management of our economy in the three (3) years preceding the COVID outbreak in 2020,” he said when he delivered an address at the opening of the 12th Biennial and 50th Golden Conference of the Methodist Church of Ghana.

According to the President, his goal, since coming into office, has been to help improve the living standards of the Ghanaian people.

“Every policy initiative, whether it is the Free Senior High School policy, the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs or the One-District-One-Factory initiative, has been implemented with the well-being of the Ghanaian at heart,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo noted, however, that, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana had one of the fastest growing economies not just in Africa, but across the world.

“However, the ravages of the pandemic, worsened by the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have led to spiraling freight charges, rising fuel costs, high food prices, steep inflationary spikes and widespread business failures. I am fully aware that these are very difficult times for us in Ghana, just as they are for most people in the world, cold comfort as that may be,” he said.

One of the ways towards bringing the economy back on track, the President said, is the approach to the International Monetary Fund, which he described as an important step.

“Other steps will be taken, in particular, to deal with the unacceptable depreciation of the cedi. Reining in inflation, by bringing down food prices, is a major preoccupation of the Government, and this season’s emerging, successful harvest will assist us achieve this objective, together with other policies that are being put in place,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo assured that Government will continue with the programmes for the expansion and modernisation of our educational system to create a 21st century workforce; the systematic reform of our healthcare system to ensure a resilient, robust healthcare delivery system; and the realisation of the agenda of industrial transformation that holds the key to our future prosperity.

Additionally, he indicated that the enhancement of agricultural productivity to guarantee the prospects of food security; the execution of the comprehensive infrastructural development plan in roads and railways; the conclusion of the digitilisation process to obtain the full benefits of the 4th industrial revolution; and the protection and greening of our environment to address climate change will be pursued vigorously.

source: 3news.com