Mills-Mahama Gov’t Reversed Industrial Sector Gains Under Kufuor – Alan

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has attributed challenges in the industrial sector to the reversal of sound industrial policies embarked upon by former President John Agyekum Kufuor by the erstwhile Mills-Mahama administration.

He said the then government made efforts aimed at establishing a congenial business environment for the private sector to drive the industrialization trajectory through the second phase of the Ghana Medium-Term Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS II).

Citing notable industrial projects of the government including the revamping of the Kumasi Shoe Factory, the Komenda Sugar Factory and the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Initiatives among others, the Minister also known as “Alan Cash” stated that the industrial sector growth rate increased significantly by 41.6% in 2011 as against 6.9% in 2010 and 11% in 2012.

In his view, the sharp increase between 2010 and 2011 was as a result of the commercial production of oil arguing that the performance of the industrial sector under the Mills-Mahama regime demonstrated a lack of focus on industrial development as a national priority.

Mr. Kyerematen who made the disclosure at the Liberty Lecture Series organized by the Danquah Institute in Accra under the theme “Industrialising Ghana Beyond Aid for an Integrated Africa” stated that the implementation of some of the strategic interventions between 2001 and 2008 were unfortunately discontinued during the Mills-Mahama administration which took over the reins of government in 2009.

“Under the Better Ghana Agenda, with the vision of “investing in people, jobs and the economy”, there was high expectation, that the discovery of Oil and Gas resources during the Kufuor administration, will become the basis of our industrialization take-off but regrettably this did not materialize” Alan Cash said.

The Trade Minister stated that the era of the Kufuor administration between 2000 and 2008 focused on a private sector-led model of industrial development through the application of science and technology under the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategies, GPRS I (2003 – 2005) and GPRS II (2006 – 2009).

The attempts under the administration, he noted were geared towards the promotion of value addition in the agro-processing sector for export and domestic consumption while other measures focused on improving agricultural productivity, market access, and promoting Industrial Sub-contracting and Partnership Exchange (SPX).

“These strategic interventions stimulated growth of the industrial sector starting from the year 2002 with a growth rate of 4.7%, from 2.9% in 20’01, and further to 5.1% in 2003 and 2004” the Trade Minister stated.

He continued: “Indeed in 2005, when I was in my third year as the sector Minister in the Kufuor administration, the Industrial Sector growth momentum peaked at 7.6% with manufacturing and construction sub-sectors making significant contributions. These were as a result of the conscious efforts made by the administration to provide pragmatic support for private sector-led industrial development, particularly under the President Special Initiatives (PSI), the District Industrialisation Programme (DIP), the Free Zones Development Programme and the Market Access negotiations particularly under AGOA.”

Mr. Kyerematen insisted that the government decided to provide direct strategic interventions to support selected sectors including garment and textiles, cassava, industrial salt and oil palm and that the objective behind the interventions among others was to create the much-needed jobs and to stem the tide of rural-urban migration.

Executive Director of the Danquah Institute Richard Ahiagbah said the late J.B Danquah despite the implications for his personal life, the seriousness and the challenges of his time initiated a struggle to end the British colonial rule.

He said J.B Danquah found his life’s vision as service to his nation, sacrificing his time to redeem Ghana from colonial rule.

Notwithstanding the consequences mr. Ahiagbah said .B Danquah dreamt about an independent society in which individual freedom, human rights and civil liberty was the foundation of building a prosperous, self-reliant country which will become Ghana.

Mr. Ahiagba contended that the Liberty Lecture Series is a product of the dream of the late J.B Danquah.

Chairman for the event, Most Rev. Dr. Samuel Asante Antwi with particular reference to some bauxite issues at Atiwa in the Eastern Region urged the government not to allow workers concerns get to the state where they have to demonstrate over issues.

He said there are laws and procedures which ought to be followed in addressing such grievances stressing that “demonstrations doesn’t help us”.