Dr. Emmanuel Kofi Mbiah, Former Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers Authority as well as Maritime Consultant and Legal Practitioner, has entreated government of Ghana to strategically transform its coastlines into economic ventures so as to spur growth.
The legal practitioner expressed repugnance about the deteriorating state of the Greater Accra coastal stretch between Korle Gonno through to Jamestown, most especially, the Korle Lagoon, which originally were prime routes. Dr. Mbiah noted that these places, when well-maintained could serve as good tourist avenues.
“This will be worth more than gold, if strategically transformed.”
Dr. Mbiah
This call to the government was made by Dr. Mbiah during the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) forum in Tema, where he touched on the potential of the blue economy to sustaining the country’s development.
During his presentation, Dr. Mbiah urged government to learn from Singapore’s Clarke Quay area, which was transformed into a holiday spot for tourists, adding that, the Korle Lagoon could be dredged, cleaned, and rehabilitated to serve as alternative transportation for the citizenry and tourists.
Such a transformation, the managing consultant said will come with the ancillary industries such as boat repair, hospitality, and real estate.
Dr. Mbiah, also holds the view that through strategic transformation of the city’s coastline, government’s tourism drive could receive some enhancement.
To achieve this, Dr. Mbiah recommended engaging in a public-private partnership – whilst government provided the environment, the private sector could provide the capital, which it could recoup through the operations.
Dr. Mbiah further advised that appropriate costing be done for the marine drive so as to know its actual value, as well, to be able to conduct an analysis of the synergies in order to produce holistic results.
Sustainable growth can also be attained by activation of policies
Rev. Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah iterated the need to activate policies to give the key sectors of Ghana’s economy a facelift to achieve sustainable growth.
According to the Reverend Minister, who also doubles as an Economist, industries play a crucial role in major economic reconstruction. Their blueprints, he added, are available for Ghana to learn from for a holistic industrialization.
A holistic industrialization would carry along its value- chain huge infrastructural development, job creation, and economic transformation, Rev. Dr. Mensah said.
Moreover, industrialization and a revamp of the agriculture sector will enhance Ghana’s growth and move her out of the control of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with its complications like the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
“Such a smart move will help reduce the rate at which home-used, cheap and substandard goods are dumped on our markets, killing local industries.”
Rev. Dr. Mensah
Rev. Dr. Mensah urged the government to focus on industrialization, which he believes will transform the economy and also boost productivity, hence, suggested that special attention be given to industries, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and the blue economy to help achieve the Balance of Payment (BoP) surplus.
“The government needs to take advantage of Ghana’s oil exploration and revamp the Tema Oil Refinery to perform to expectation.”
Rev. Dr. Mensah
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