WILL PRESIDENT MAHAMA’S 24H+ ECONOMY SUCCEED?
ARTICLE 3
STRATEGY
BY
HANS PETER RECKLING
WEBSITE: https://recklingenterprise.com
BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING THE STRATEGY OF THE 23H+ PROGRAMME, WE WILL HAVE A LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF STRATEGY.
STRATEGY IS
“a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim”: (DEFINITION TAKEN FROM BING SEARCH ENGINE “STRATEGY”)
THIS DEFINITION USUALLY APPLIES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SO WE CAN USE IT FOR OUR DISCUSSION HERE.
THE CHAPTER ON THE STRATEGY OF THE 24H+ PROGRAMME OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA STARTS WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
THESE OBJECTIVES ALREADY APPEAR BRIEFLY IN THE PROGRAMME UP TO HERE, BUT WE WILL SUMMARISE THEM NOW:
- BOOSTING LOCAL PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER GOODS TO REDUCE DEPENDENY ON IMPORTS.
- IN CONNECTION WITH THAT, FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION OF VALUE CHAINS.
- GET THE OPTIMUM OUT OF UTILISING PRODUCTION RESOURCES.
- ACHIEVING STABLE PRODUCTION SURPLUSES.
- DEVELOPING A NATIONAL WORK ETHIC OF “EXCELLENCE, RESPONSIBILITY, DIGNITY, AND COOPERATION.
FORTUNATELY ENOUGH, THE PROGRAMME ALREADY TELLS US THAT IT IS NOT A SHORT-TERM INITIATIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOES NOT TELL US THE TIME FRAME IN WHICH AT LEAST THE BASICS OF THE PROGRAMME SHOULD BE ACHHIEVED. IN THE PROGRAMME ITSELF THE AUTHORS RECOGNISE THAT IT IS NOT A SHORT-TIME EVENT, BUT A MEDIUM-TO-LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT. FACT IS THAT ANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS NOTHING THAT HAS AN END , BUT GOES ON “TILL ETERNITY”. THEREFORE, AS ITS BEST RESULT, THE PROGRAMME COULD ONLY BE THE BASE FOR ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
MOST OF THE KEY POINTS WERE GENERALLY ALREADY MENTIONED BEFORE, NAMELY THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO GHANA’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ECONOMY TO BE SELF-RELIANT. HERE THE QUESTION ARISES WHETHER THE EXPRESSION “SELF-RELIANT” IS NOT TOO HIGHLY STRAINED. NO COUNTRY CAN BE SELF-RELIANT, NOT EVEN THE MOST ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED ONES. AT LEAST THE EXPLANATION LATER SPEAKS OF REDUCING DEPENDENCIES, WHICH DESCRIBES THE TARGETED RESULT BETTER. THIS KEY DIMENSION MUST ALSO BE SEEN IN CONNECTION WITH THE HOLISTIC APPROACH MENTIONED BEFORE.
THE NEXT KEY DIMENSION IS CALLED “STRATEGIC VALUE CHAIN PRIORISATION”, WHICH MEANS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT AND EASIEST TO ACCOMPLISH VALUE CHAINS SHALL BE DEALT WITH FIRST. HERE, THE FOCUS IS AGAIN LAID ON AGRICULTURE AAND MANUFACTURING WHICH – ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAMME – ARE MORE OR LESS SEEN AS ONE ENTITY.
THE NEXT DIMENSIONS ARE JOB CREATION AND INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY, PRIVATE SECTOE FOCUSED TRANSFORMATION, SYSTEMIC CONSTRAINTS SOLUTION, AND BUILDING HUMAN CAPACITY AND CULTUAL RENEWAL. WE WILL SEE ALL THE KEY DIMENSIONS AGAIN WHEN WE EXAMINE THE SUB-PROGRAMMES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL THESE KEY DIMESIONS, WE MUST ASK OURSELVES WHETHER THE GHANAIAN GOVERNMNT,HAS NOT OVERESTIMATED ITS POSSIBILITIES WITH THE PROGRAMME. IT IS CLEAR THAT AN ECONOMY CAN BE TRANSFORMED HOLISTICALLY, BUT THE PROCESS TO ACHIEVE THIS TRANSFORMATION IS COMPLEX, LONG-TERM, AND CONTEXT DEPENDENT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS GENERALLY ALREADY REALISED THAT, BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE FOUNDATIONS EVEN FOR SECTIONAL IMPROVEMENT ARE NOT LAID. THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY IS NOT CONSTANT – THERE IS STILL A LOT OF LIGHT OFF IN THE COUNTRY. THE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED. AS LONG AS AT LEAST THESE SHORTCOMINGS ARE NOT RECTIFIED, AN ECONOMY CANNOT BE TRANSFORMED, IN WHATEVER WAY.
ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT, THE 24H+ PROGRAMME IS BASED ON THREE PILLARS:
— PRODUCTION TRANSFORMATION,
— SUPPLY CHAIN AND MARKET SYSTEM EFFICIENCY, AND
— HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT. (HUMAN CAPITAL IS A TERRIBLE EXPRESSION!)
THESE THREE PILLARS GENERALLY REPRESENT THE EIGHT DIMENSIONS MENTIONED BEFORE. WE WILL GET BACK TO THEM WHEN WE DISCUSS THE VARIOUS SUB-PROGRAMMES; THEY ARE BUILDING THE WHOLE 24H+ PROGRAMME.
THE ONLY PILLAR THAT BRINGS SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE IS THE ONE THAT DESCRIBES THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, AS IT MENTIONS BRIEFLY THE ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. IN THIS CONNECTIONS, WE MUST ALSO RECOGNISE THAT THIS IS THE PILLAR WHICH IS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE. EVEN IF ALL THE TECHNICAL CONDITIONS ARE FULFILLLED, IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE THE WHOLE TERM OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE THE ATTITUDES OF A LARGE PART OF THE POPULATION. BEHAVIOURS WHICH ARE IMPLEMENTED IN A HUMAN BEING OVER SEVERAL YEARS CANNOT BE CHANGED IN A MOMENT, EVEN IF THE TECHMICAL FOUNDATIONS TO CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDES WOULD BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. WE WILL GET BACK TO THIS PROBLEM WHEN WE DISCUSS THE SUB-PROGRAMME THAT DEALS WITH HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
GOING ON, THE PROGRAMME DESCRIBES THE VALUE CHAIN STRATEGIES IT IS USING, NAMELY THE STRATEGIC VALUE CHAIN APPROACH AND THE INTEGRATED VALUE CHAIN APPROACH. WHILE THE STRATEGIC VALUE CHAIN APPROACH EMPHASISES – CORRECTLY – THAT AN ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION MUST BEGIN WITH THE SECTORS THAT OFFER THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL, THE INTEGRATED VALUR CHAIN APPROACH FOCUSSES ON THE EIGHT SUB-PROGRAMMES AND THEIR INTER-CONNECTIVITY. WE WILL DEAL WITH THAT WHEN EXAMINING THE SUB-PROGRAMMES.
THE VALUE CHAIN APPROACHES LEAD THE PROGRAMME TO THE DUAL FOCUS STRATEGY, WHICH EFFECTIVELY COMBINES THE TWO AFOREMENTIONED STRATEGIES.
THE NEXT POINT IS CONCERNING THE ROLE SECURITY HAS TO PLAY WITH THE PLANNED ECONOMY TRANSFORMATION. IT IS CLEAR THAT EVERY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS A FUNCTIONING SECURITY SYSTEM. IT IS ONLY INTERESTING THAT THE PROGRAMME FOCUSSES SO MUCH ON THIS POINT, AS IF THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THE EFFECTIVITY OF THE CURRENT SECURITY SYSTEM. MAYBE THAT THE GOVERNMENT THINKS THAT SECURITY IS CURRENTLY UNDER-EQUIPPED. IN THIS CASE, WE ARE BACK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCING, WHICH WILL BE DEALT WITH WHEN DISCUSSING THE SPECIFIC SUB-PROGRAMME.
THE VOLTA RIVER BASIN AND THE ADJACENT AREAS ARE IN THE CENTER OF THE PROGRAMME, WHICH IS VERY WELL SHOWN IN CALLING IT THE “VOLTA ECONOMIC CORRIDOR”. LAKE VOLTA AND ITS TRIBUTARIES SHALL SERVE AS MEANS FOR TRANSPORTATION, IRRIGATION, TOURIST ATTRACTION, AMONG OTHERS. IT COULD GENERALLY BE A GOOD IDEA, IF IT WOULD NOT GIVE US THE FEELING THAT THE LAKE VOLTA AREA AND THE NORTHERN REGIONS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAMME WHILE OTHER REGIONS WILL BE NEGLECTED. THIS ASSUMPTION IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE INTENTION OF THE PROGRAMME TO MAKE THE TAMALE AIRPORT A CARGO HUB, AND TO DEVELOP ONLY COMMUNITIES ALONG THE LAKE VOLTA (BUIPE AND OTHERS). IN THE STRATEGY CHAPTER, THERE IS NOTHING SAID ABOUT DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES IN OTHER REGIONS. WE WILL GET BACK TO THE DETAILS OF THE “VOLTA ECONOMIC CORRIDOR” IN THE COMBINED SUB-PROGRAMMES OF AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING.
BOTH AGROECOLOGICAL AND INDUSTRIAL PARKS NEED LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR THIS PURPOSE, THE PROGRAMME WANTS TO IMPLEMENT A PARTICIPATORY LAND ACCESS MODEL. THIS MODEL INCLUDES A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AS NATIONAL SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLE (SPV), WHERE PEOPLE WITH LAND CAN ASSIGN TO THE NATIONAL SPV; THE LAND WILL THEN BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE TRUSTS. THE MODEL IS INTERESTING AND AS A BASIC IDEA CAPABLE TO BE DEVELOPED, BUT FOR THE MOMENT, IT APPEARS TO BE COMPLICATED, AND IT WILL NEED SOME EFFORTS TO EXPLAIN THE MODEL BETTER THAN THE PROGRAMME DOES UP TO HERE.
SO FAR ABOUT THE STRATEGIES USED IN THE PROGRAMME; IN THE NEXT ARTICLES, WE WILL GET TO THE CORE OF THE PROGRAMME, THE EIGHT SUB-PROGRAMMES. WE WILL START WITH THE EXAMINATION OF THE COMBINED AGRICULTUAL AND MANUFACTURING SUB-PROGRAMMES, AS THEY ARE ALREADY SEEN MORE OR LESS AS A UNITY.
