Honorable Andy Appiah Kubi, the Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North Constituency, has called on the public and stakeholders to actively contribute to refining policy proposals during the ongoing campaign.
He emphasized that outright criticism of policy proposals should not be encouraged, advocating instead for collaborative efforts to enhance policies for the betterment of Ghanaians.
He expressed the belief that constructive input could significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of proposed policies.
“So let’s contribute to make it a beneficial program so we can all benefit. So I don’t agree when we want to criticize it. If there are shortfalls, let’s provide solutions to them. We should make sure practically, how we make it work and provide the ingredient that will give us an advantage. If we are going to throw away every program, every suggestion, then we end up having no policy at all.”
Andy Appiah Kubi
Honorable Andy Appiah Kubi therefore encouraged Ghanaians to tolerate other views throughout the electioneering period.
“I think it is worth discussing by going down to discuss the pillars to support the policy and the strategy to achieve maximum benefit. Let it not only be the one we think will bring economic distress but that one and others. So let us listen to what others bring out new ideas and let us reconcile all of that and see whether the aggregation of those ideas and proper implementation of strategies will get us the benefits that we require. It is important that we agree to disagree. We must accept everyone’s opinion and process it into useable concepts. When we put politics ahead of every policy, we don’t achieve anything.”
Andy Appiah Kubi
Scrutinizing Mahama’s 24-hour Economy
Honorable Andy Appiah Kubi scrutinized Mahama’s proposed 24-hour economy, deeming it unoriginal. He however stressed the need for additional supporting conditions to be in place to effectively implement the policy.
“It is not innovation at all. But for us to make an economy beyond the day, we have to create the demand for the industries. How do we create the space? If investments come through productivity and the platform is there, the government’s contribution is to create the environment to help the investment of enterprise. Let the government provide the utilities and basics only.”
Andy Appiah Kubi
Therefore, according to him, if the government provides the environment and the readiness of the economy to accept investment, then it may happen. The government must be selective in pushing for the investment that will turn the economy around. Notwithstanding he emphasized that government cannot nationalize private companies towards that end.
“What I am saying, is from the beginning of the fourth republic, no government, NDC-NPP, has never tried to take people’s investment or to nationalize companies because the protocols are already there. Not even an attempt has been made and I don’t think that any government has the guts to do that.”
Andy Appiah Kubi
The government’s influence extends greatly towards the public sector, not the private sector. But to attract the private sector, the government must establish a conducive platforms. The 24-hour economy could materialize organically if private enterprises expand their investments, prompting the need for an expanded workforce to meet set targets.
When targets become sizable, necessitating more than an eight-hour workday, companies will naturally create new structures. By doing so, they can hire additional staff for night shifts to meet objectives. The government’s role is to generate markets and enhance market accessibility. Increased market demand can lead producers to expand their production bases, responding to the created need, market availability, and increased production capacity.
Importantly too, the government must ensure that the responsiveness of the state security apparatus is very efficient and effective.
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