Some sections of the public have expressed that government is capable of attaining the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda.
According to them, the agenda can only be achieved if government reduces its reliance on aid from Western countries. They revealed that self-reliance for the nation will help the country and the economy grow on its own terms devoid of foreign influences.
Commenting on the impact of the agenda on the economy, a financial expert, Emmanuel Aboagye, indicated that the agenda is a national project and it demands the concerted effort of everyone and not just government. He explained that although government has an integral part to play, it also behoves on Ghanaians to “limit import of goods into the country and focus on growing the indigenous industries”.
“Ghana is well capable of getting to a point where we don’t have to depend on any country to run the affairs of the state. This will require effective implementation of the agenda by government through thorough education of stakeholders on the need to focus more on growing the local economy. This will invariably help in the total transformation of the economy from one of massive import to a homegrown industry”.
Emmanuel Aboagye
Interacting with the Vaultz News, Dorothy Lomo-Mainoo, an administrator, expressed that the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ is a laudable idea by government but proper structuring and execution must be put in place. She explained that government will need to liaise with policy experts to deliberate on the scope of what needs to be done to achieve the targets inherent in the agenda.
“Our country, like most globally, has been confronted with issues of the pandemic and the recent one being the Russia-Ukraine war. Although it is easy to put blame on these external factors, we must look beyond that and find solutions from among ourselves. Despite the fact that things may seem bleak now we have the opportunity to be a united front to emerge victors in this struggle. Now, this will require people who are like-minded and have the required skill to champion the agenda and ensure we truly become independent from any form of external aid.”
Dorothy Lomo-Mainoo
Government urged to improve the living standards of Ghanaians
On his part, the Managing Director of Brandhill Constructions, Xavier Dosu, noted that the country can be “beyond aid if it concentrates on improving the lives of Ghanaians first”. He emphasized that once the people are truly prosperous, it will reflect on the “state and health of the country”.
“You know this ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda will only look good on paper if government does not get to work immediately. It must stop politicising the interests of the people and be genuinely concerned about their welfare. You can say you care about Ghanaians and we daily wake up to increased cost of services and products and insane taxes. When this happens, even local produce shoots up and importers don’t even have the choice but to import cheaper products into the country just so they make their money. Mind you, in this current economy people want to cut cost and being patriotic to locally produced goods is the last thing.”
Xavier Dosu
With this, Mr Dosu explained that government must be prudent in its decisions in order to actualize the beyond aid agenda.
“We must get to a point where we can build this country by using our own resources and ensure proper management as well. This, I believe, will go a long way in empowering the social and economic growth of this country.”
Xavier Dosu
On his part, Moses Arhin, an entrepreneur, called for private sector inclusion in realising the objectives of the agenda. He highlighted that once there is the participatory involvement of the private sector, the country will be strategically positioned to grow.
“Without a doubt, building a Ghana beyond aid is not beyond us because other countries have done it. I believe it is a long process for us but we must cover all our bases by involving all the necessary actors within the country at the early stages. The foundation must certainly be right to achieve this.”
Moses Arhin
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