By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Nov. 02, GNA – Some residents in the Cape Coast Metropolis have called on the Government to be tactful with its expenditure and invest in productive ventures to spur economic growth.
Speaking in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency, the residents said the Government’s move to halt the depreciation of the Cedi should work at all costs.
Mrs. Gladys Baidoo, a banker, said the country’s prudent management of scarce economic resources through technology remained the ultimate goal to save it from the difficulties.
“It is, therefore, important for government to improve its financial management and budgeting practices to create the environment which could support the possibility for prudent and sustainable borrowing for public infrastructure and services at the local level,” she stated.
In addition, she praised efforts to support Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to step up their revenue mobilization to improve development at the local level and reduce their dependence on the central government.
“The huge potential in property rate collection remains untapped. There are many property owners who are yet to pay any rate to the Assemblies because the Assemblies have not yet approached them to collect the rates.
“The MMDAs must, therefore, find innovative ways of mobilizing resources in an equitable and efficient manner,” she urged.
Mr. Jones Kofi Darko, an entrepreneur, also commended the President for the resolve to ban the imports of some goods that could be produced locally to revive the local industrial sector.
He said a country’s development, depended on its level of industrialization, however, any nation that neglected that sector will be a burden to itself and its people, as it will have to depend on the importation of all kinds of goods at great cost to meet the needs of its populace.
It was for this reason, he noted, that in the immediate post-independence period, Ghana set out to build some industries for rapid development.
As a result of the resolve to speed up the country’s progress, the Tema industrial township was built, in addition to the creation of industrial enclaves in Accra and many parts of the country.
Many private individuals and companies also set up industries which provided hope for the future of the new independent country which was the envy of many a country on the continent and beyond.
Nevertheless, decades down the line, however, many of the manufacturing establishments, that provided the youth with job opportunities everywhere, have become “ghosts” and trading activities have taken over, defeating the country’s attempts at import substitution.
On the country’s negotiation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Daniel Danso, an educationist, said the whole of Ghana seemed to be waiting for the ‘presumed saviour IMF’ that has not been able to save us on its 16 previous occasions.
“The Government opting for an IMF programme will not address the current difficulties but would rather worsen them.
“The impact of the IMF programme would be worse than the reliefs the country would be seeking,” he said.
Mr. David Annan, a driver, asked President Akufo-Addo to redeem his promise to transform Ghana in 18 months if voted.
“Yes, he promised to turn around the fortunes of Ghana and create opportunities for all and he charged all of us to be citizens and not spectators.
“A significant number of us citizens associated the promises with good and noble intentions in return and despite our best efforts, the Ghanaian people have offered the NPP a clear mandate in 2017 to steer the affairs of our dear country but with nothing to show for,” he said.
GNA