Vice President, Her Excellency Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang met with the Ghanaian community in Vic during her official working visit to the Kingdom of Spain. The Vice President participated in the fourth high level meeting of the Initiative in Defence of Democracy before she gathered with citizens living abroad.
Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Ambassador Kalsoume Sinare Baffoe supported the Vice President as she interacted with traditional authorities and various provincial associations.
Professor Opoku Agyemang delivered fraternal greetings from President John Dramani Mahama to the assembled citizens during the formal town hall session. She praised the residents for the excellent reputation they maintained which served to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two sovereign nations.
The Vice President discussed the proposed regularization initiative by the Spanish government which aimed to assist undocumented migrants within the territory. She assured the community that the Ghanaian embassy would provide the necessary guidance and information to ensure compliance with the new legal framework.
Economic stability remained a central theme as the Vice President detailed the progress made in reducing national inflation and maintaining strict fiscal discipline. She explained that the administration focused on moving the country toward a production based economy that prioritized value addition over raw material exports.
The Big Push Agenda served as the primary vehicle for these structural changes through massive investments in critical infrastructure across all sixteen regions. Professor Opoku Agyemang noted that the government preferred industrial transformation to the traditional reliance on external markets for finished goods.
Agricultural modernization received significant attention during the briefing as a strategy to decrease the national import bill and increase local food security. The Vice President stated that the government implemented specific policies to empower local farmers and expand the capacity of domestic processing firms.
Education and social welfare programs formed a large part of the presentation regarding the current quality of life for citizens back home. She highlighted the No Fees Stress Policy which allowed first year tertiary students to enroll in universities without the immediate burden of tuition payments.
Social interventions like the provision of free sanitary pads for schoolgirls and the expansion of primary healthcare services were presented as evidence of inclusive governance. The Vice President indicated that these programs aimed to remove barriers to education and health for the most vulnerable populations.
Government Implements New Strategic Initiatives For Economic Transformation
The Vice President outlined the phased implementation of the 24 hour economy which sought to maximize productivity and create jobs for the youth. She emphasized that this policy created a competitive advantage for Ghana by utilizing capital and labor across three shifts daily.
The Women’s Development Bank stood out as a specialized financial institution designed to provide credit and technical support to female entrepreneurs in the marketplace. Professor Opoku Agyemang confirmed that the Goldbod program also played a critical role in formalizing the small scale mining sector and stabilizing the local currency.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the diaspora to voice their concerns and offer suggestions regarding the developmental trajectory of their home country. The Vice President listened to the feedback from the traditional leaders and union representatives who traveled from different provinces to attend.
Professor Opoku Agyemang urged the community to remain united and continue their contributions to the national economy through strategic investments and knowledge transfer. She acknowledged that the diaspora functioned as a major pillar of support for many households and communities within Ghana.
The Vice President expressed her profound gratitude for the warm reception accorded to her delegation by the Ghanaian residents in the city of Vic. She reaffirmed that the welfare of Ghanaians abroad remained a top priority for the current administration under the leadership of President Mahama.
Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also spoke briefly to the crowd about the administrative improvements at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to serve the diaspora better. He mentioned that digital portals and improved consular services simplified the process of acquiring documents and seeking assistance from the government.
The Vice President promised that the government would continue to create an enabling environment for all citizens to thrive regardless of their geographic location.
READ ALSO: President Mahama Pledges Economic Resilience and Major Infrastructure Projects
