By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, Feb. 28. GNA – President Nana Addo- Dankwah Akufo –Addo on Tuesday presented the State of the Nation Address to Parliament.
The address underscored the government’s principal policies and strategies aimed at improving the economy.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) sought the views of some members of the public in Kumasi, on the President’s State of the Nation Address.
Mr Kwaku Boateng, former student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said the digitalization policy initiated by Vice–President Mahamudu Bawumia had not made much impact.
“Digitalization had not created much employment for the youth and it needed to be addressed.
Maame Serwaa, a petty trader at Kejetia, also said that the economy was hard and traders sat in the scorching sun all day without much patronage of their goods.
This, she said had made life difficult for them as traders because they mostly use loans in their businesses.
“Nana Addo, the economy is so hard, we don’t have money in our pockets”, she stated.
She suggested that the government further increase the salaries of workers for them as traders to also get their items sold rapidly.
Mr. Emmanuel Prah, a businessman also told GNA that the government must address issues such as illegal mining “Galamsey”, unemployment, and corruption, and step up efforts to improve security issues in the country.
He said old policies such as school feeding, Free SHS and One District One Factory (1D1F) must be upgraded to make it more attractive.
Adisa Salifu, A Potter at Kejetia in Kumasi, said that “now a ball of kenkey is sold at GH₵5 and we cannot even afford fish. We are suffering,” she said.
A Taxi Driver, Joe Sarkodie said fuel prices kept shooting up by the day and the government must address that.
A Journalist who wanted to remain anonymous said the first term of the Akufo-Addo government was impressive, but the second term had been bad, nothing seemed to be going on.
She urged the government to properly come out with their projects that had been done for people at the grassroots to know.
Other members of the public also lauded the government for the Free SHS Policy which had helped the poor in the society.
Ama Mansa, a Student Nurse, also said that the hospital projects mentioned by the president must be completed as scheduled to enable more nurses to be recruited.
Other members of the public urged the government to speed up projects such as the Kumasi International Airport and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) maternity blocks as he mentioned in his address.
They also called on the government to address the recent power outages because he mentioned that the government was committed to a stable energy system, to ensure development in the country.
GNA