A five-pillar strategic framework to champion government’s ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda has been drafted and handed over to the Office of the Senior Minister.
The policy document, prepared by the Transformation Unit of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), hinges on five thematic strategies which include, wealth creation, inclusivity, sustainability, empowered Ghana, and resilient Ghana (WISER).
Head of the Transformation Unit at the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Joyce Awuku-Darko Osei, confirmed to the Goldstreet Business that further inputs into the strategy, will be made by the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo and his 10-member ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ Committee, who were inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo in June this year.
On June 13, 2018, a 10-member Committee was tasked by the President to aggressively outline steps to make Ghana self-reliant.
The Committee’s members comprise three representatives each from the Ministries of Finance, Planning, and Employment and Labour Relations, and a representative from Organized Labour.
Chaired by the Senior Minister, the Committee has been given six months, from June, to be ready with a Strategic Policy Document on ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.
“So, inputs and debates on further strategies by the Senior Minister and his team will bring finality to the document as to how the final rollout should be in order to make it implementable,” Mrs. Awuku-Darko Osei said.
She however explained that some notable provisions in the document, highlighted on specific sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing among others.
Mrs. Awuku-Darko Osei argued that the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda, does not in any way oppose Ghana’s current relationship with China.
China is expected to offer at least US$15 billion to Ghana, with expectations of that country controlling a stake in the country’s 960 million metric tonnes of bauxite reserves worth US$460 billion.
But Mrs. Awuku-Darko Osei insisted that the country’s approach towards China, does not in any way defy the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda.
“Those were business deals, we didn’t go begging China. Every transaction with China is mutual with equal benefits for both countries. It’s a partnership, and we have the opportunity to leverage our resources, as ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ seeks to leverage and harness our potentials and resources for development,” she maintained.
By Wisdom Jonny-Nuekpe
