Stephen Amoah: We’ve been poor in communicating Akufo-Addo’s record

The Nhyiaeso MP says in spite of the global economic challenges and the rippling effect on Ghana’s economy, the Akufo-Addo government deserves plaudits

 

 

Dr Stephen Amoah, a member of the finance committee of Parliament, has said the government’s communication machinery must step up efforts in projecting the achievements of President Akufo-Addo for Ghanaians to appreciate what has been done over the years.

 

The Nhyiaeso MP said this has become even more crucial as the impact of the global economic challenge bites hard at the Ghanaian economy.

 

“Planting for Food and Jobs was very important … but there could have been circumstances like the fluctuation of the world market which may have impacted it negatively,” Amoah told Asaase News.

 

“No government has done many of the things that President Akufo-Addo has done, but we don’t see it being properly reported and communicated… I am not criticising anybody, but this is fact.

 

“If the citizens get to understand the impact of inflation everywhere… they would understand but we don’t see this government communicating any of this,” he said.

 

We’ve failed to resolve cedi depreciation

In a previous interview with Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin, Amoah said successive governments, especially under the Fourth Republic, have failed to find long-term ways to stabilise the cedi.

 

The MP for Nhyiaeso said the continuous depreciation of the cedi under Ghana governments past and present shows that the country lacks a long-term plan to tackle the problem.

 

He said: “The fact of the matter is that all successive governments including my government, in my opinion, which I could be wrong, have not adopted a long-term approach and technique needed to solving this ritual problem of our currency.

 

“So, the currency situation in Ghana is like a child with sickle cell – once there’s a small shock, even dust, there’s a crisis …

 

“But unfortunately, both recent fraternities, NDC and NPP, have been using it for politics,” Amoah said. “Other than that, [we are] a country where almost everything that we use is imported.

 

“So, how can anybody say that he can solve currency problems in the country in the very jurisdiction [where] we are demanding everything from outside?” he asked.

 

National strategic framework needed

“If we don’t change our way of solving currency issues in Ghana, we should forget [it]. Any time there’s a shock, we have a problem.

 

“We need to design and develop a long-term approach so that common items that can be produced in Ghana are given the needed resources to do so,” he said.

 

“For a long time now, we have not been able to position ourselves to strengthen our cedi and make it competitive against foreign currency, because of the same liquidity and risk factors. We’re importing all of [the goods we use].

 

“We have failed [to stabilise the cedi] because we’ve not been able to come out with a long-term strategic framework and execute [it] successfully, and all governments have failed,” Amoah said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Asaseradio.com