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1ST ARTICLE ON THE PROGRAMME
VISION, CHALLENGE, AND THE PROGRAMME AS INTEGRATED SOLUTION
THE THREE AFOREMENTIONED TOPICS OF THE AGENDA ARE PART OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AT LAST, BUT IN THIS CASE OF COMMENTING ON THE PROGRAMME, IT SEEMS TO BE APPRROPRIATE TO START WITH IT, AS IT GIVES MORE OR LESS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WHOLE PROGRAMME.
ACCORDING TO HIS VISION, PRESIDENT MAHAMA WANTS “A SELF-RELIANT, INDUSTRIALLY COMPETITIVE, AND EXPORT-DRIVEN GHANAIAN ECONOMY WITH OPTIMALLY INTEGRATED VALUE CHAINS, A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE, AND STRONG REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TRADE INTEGRATION…”
I THINK THAT EVERYBODY – AT LEAST IN GHANA – CAN SUBSCRBE TO THIS VISION. A DEVELOPED GHANA INTEGRATED IN A STRONG WEST AFRICAN UNION (ECOWAS) AND A STRONG AND UNITED AFRICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE AFRICA UNION IS PROBABLY ON EVERYBODY’S MIND, NOT ONLY POLITICIANS. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT MAHAMA CAN ACHIEVE THE REALISATION OF THIS VISION WITH THIS PROGRAMME.
WE SURELY SEE A NEO-COLONIAL BEHAVIOUR ESPECIALLY BY THE WESTERN COUNTRIES WHICH TRY TO EXPLOIT THE AFRICAN RESOURCES FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT, AND IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT
- ONE MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT AFRICAN COUNTRIES MOSTLY EXPORT RAW MATERIALS FOR GLOBAL PRICES THAT ARE MAINLY DICTATED BY SO-CALLED “DEVELOPED ECONOMIES”, AND THEN IMPORT THE VALUE-ADDED GOODS FROM THE SAME COUNTRIES FOR EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER PRICES, AND
- THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM ARE ALSO THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND ENTERPRISES THEMSELVES WHICH ARE NOT CAPABLE – AND IN SOME CASES UNWILLING – TO ADD THE SAME VALUE ON THEIR RAW MATERIALS THEMSELVES, AND THEN EXPORT THESE GOODS.
WE SEE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IN THE COCOA/CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS RELATION. WE EXPORT THE RAW MATERIAL COCOA, AND THEN IMPORT A BIG CHUNK OF COCOA PRODUCTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS A FIRM IN GHANA (COCOA PROCESSING COMPANY – CPC) WHICH PRODUCES COCOA PRODUCTS THAT ARE OF MUCH BETTER QUALITY THAN THE ONES GHANA IMPORTS.
WE SEE THE PROBLEM NOT ONLY ON THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, BUT ALSO – AS YOU COULD SEE BEFORE – ON THE FIRM LEVEL. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS NO FANTASY ON THE SIDE OF THE FIRMS AND THEIR – ESPECIALLY MARKETING – MANAGEMENT. I THINK WE COULD HAVE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ROLE OF FIRMS AND THE FIRM/GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP IN THE LACK OF ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR SUCH A DISCUSSION. WE WANT TO SEE WHAT PRESIDENT MAHAMA AND HIS GVERNMENT HAVE TO OFFER TO FULFILL THEIR VISION.
WITH THAT WE GET TO THE 24H+ PROGRAMME AS INTEGRATED SOLUTION. (I APOLOGISE FOR STILL CALLING IT THE 24/7 ECONOMY PRGRAMME; I WON’T DO IT AGAIN.) THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OFFERS AN OVERVIEW ABOUT THE SUB-PROGRAMMES THAT TOGETHER FORM THE GOVERNMENT’S VISION BASE. WE WILL FOLLOW THIS STRUCTURE, AND GO INTO DETAILS OF THE SUB-PROGRAMMES IN THE SUBSEQUENT ARTICLES.
FIRST, THE TARGETS THE PROGRAMME IS SUPPOSED TO ACHIEVE, ARE MENTIONED IN DETAILS. THESE ARE
— TO BE LESS DEPENDENT ON FOOD IMPORTS;
— HAVING LESS POST-HARVEST LOSSES;
— EXPANSION OF MANUFACTURING;
— LONGER-TERM CAPITAL SUPPLY;
— HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCEE;
— BUILDING OF AN AFRICAN CULTURAL IDENTITY;
— INCREASED CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT.
AS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PROGRAMME, INSTEAD OF DEVELOPING THE VARIOUS SECTORS INDEPENDENTLY, IT AIMS AT A “HOLISTIC” SOLUTION, WHICH MEANS THAT THE VARIOUS SECTORS WORK TOGETHER TO REACH THE INTENDED SUCCESS IN COMPLEXITY. IT AIMS AT CONSTRUCTING AN INTEGRATED SUPPLY CHAIN TO MAKE THE GHANAIAN ECONOMY LESS EXPOSED TO EXTERNAL SHOCKS.
FOR THAT, THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES EIGHT SUB-PROGRAMMES, WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS:
— AN AGRICULTURAL SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A MANUFACTURING SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A BUILDING SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A CULTURAL SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A SUPPLY CHAIN SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A FUNDING SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT SUB-PROGRAMME;
— A CITIZEN PARTICIPATION SUB-PROGRAMME.
OF THESE SUB-PROGRAMMES, THE AGRICULTURAL AND THE MANUFACTURING OCCUPY THE MOST SPACE IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, AND IT CAN BE EXPECTED THAT THIS WILL BE THE SAME IN THE MAIN PART OF THE PROGRAMME.
FOLLOWING THE AGENDA OF THE PROGRAMME, WE WILL ONLY GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE SUB-PROGRAMMES AND OUR ANALYSIS OF THIS SUMMARY; THE DETALS WILL FOLLOW IN SUBSEQUENT ARTICLES.
- ALTHOUGH THE SUB-PRGRAMMES ARE SEPARATED, THE AGRICULTURAL AND THE MANUFACTURING SUB-PEOGRAMMES MORE OR LESS FORM A UNITY. THIS IS SHOWN BY THE FACT THAT THE PROPOSED AGRO-ECOLOGICAL PARKS (CALLED IN THE PROGRAMME “AGBLEDUWO”) AND THE PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL PARKS (CALLED IN THE PROGRAMME “WUMBEI”) ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND FUNTIONALLY VERY MUCH INTERLINKED. AND HERE APPEARS ONE PROBLEM WITH THESE SUB-PROGRAMMES: THEY ARE VERY MUCH CONCENTRATED ON THE VOLTA AND THE NORTHERN AREAS. ALTHOUGH THE AGROLOGICAL SUB-PROGRAMME DEALS IN A SMALLER PART WITH PERI-URBAN FARMING (CALLED “SHIKPEN FARMING REVOLUTION”), IT IS MOSTLY CENTERED ON THE AREA AROUND LAKE VOLTA AND ADJACENT AREAS (“EDEN VOLTA BREADBASKET PROJECT”). MANY AREAS IN GHANA SEEM TO BE LEFT OUT, WHICH IS SHOWN BY A MAP INCORPORATED IN THE PROGRAMME. WE WILL SEE IN LATER PROGRAMMES, INHOWFAR THIS ASSUMPTION IS CORRECT.
- THE BUILDING SUB-PRGRAMME SEEKS TO DEVELOP THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE MAINLY BASED ON LOCALLY PRODUCED INPUTS. ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS TO BE A GOOD IDEA, THERE WILL BE SEVERAL OBSTACLES THAT MUST BE REMOVED FIRST. ONE MAJOR OBSTACLE IS – AS IT IS SO OFTEN, AND IT WILL GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROGRAMME – THE FINANCING ISSUE. NOT ONLY MUST THE GOVERNMENT HAVE THE NECESSARY MEANS TO FINANCE THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR MUST HAVE THE MEANS TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITIES, AND THAT NEEDS MONEY. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO PRODUCE COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES; THEY ALONE CAN’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE WILL SEE IN THE FINANCING SUB-PROGRAMME WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS ON THE CORRECT AND SUFFICIENT WAY.
- THE CULTURAL SUB-PROGRAMMES LAYS THE EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING A CULTURAL IDENTITY. WE DON’T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY OBJECTION TO THAT, AS LONG AS IT IS INTEGRATED IN THE AFRICAN IDENTITY. FURTHERMORE, THE GOVERNMENT MUST FIND CONCRETE WAYS TO DELIVER THIS DEVELOPED IDENTITY (THE NATIONAL AS WELL AS THE AFRICAN) GLOBALLY. WE WILL SEE IN THE SPECIFIC ARTICLE ABOUT THIS SUB-PROGRAMME WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT HAS ANY IDEAS HOW TO DO THAT.
- LOOKING AT THE SUPPLY CHAIN SUB-PROGRAMME, THE GOVERNMENT IS CORRECT WHEN IT STATES THAT ONLY AN UNINTERRUPTED SUPPLY CHAIN IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND SUPPLY-EFFECTIVE. WE HAVE SEEN THE RESULTS OF BROKEN SUPPLY CHAINS AT LEAST DURING THE COVID19 CRISIS.
BUT THEN WE SEE AGAIN THAT THE VOLTA LAKE AND THE VOLTA BASIN IS IN THE CENTER OF THE SUB-PROGRAMME, AND THE TAMALE AIRPORT WILL BE EXTENDED TO BE AN AIR-CARGO HUB. AT LEAST IN THE SUMMARY NOTHING IS SAID ABOUT – FOR EXAMPLW – DEVELOPING A RAILWAY SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE WILL SEE WHETHER THE DETAILED SUB-PROGRAMME OFFERS ANY SOLUTIONS TO THAT.
- THE FUNDING SUB-PROGRAMME SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER. BECAUSE IT FORMS THE BASE OF THE REALISATION OF ALL THE GOOD AND NOT-SO-GOOD IDEAS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT CHAPTER ONLY OFFERS RESULTS (UNLOCKING 1 BILLION US-DOLLARS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FUND, CREDIT INSURANCE SCHEME, SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLES) AND THE SUMMARY IS A LITTLE BIT SHORT- WITHOUT TELLING US EXPLICITLY WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY THAT THE BANK OF GHANA WILL SUPPORT IT, AND FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS WILL BE DEPLOYED. WE WILL SEE WHETHER THE EXTENDED FUNDING CHAPTER WILL GIVE US ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS.
THE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT SUB-PROGRAMME FOCUSSES ON FOUR AREAS WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT, ARE INTERLOCKED: TRANSFORMING WORK CULTURE AND ATTITUDE TO PRODUCTION, STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, IMPROVING DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE AND MULTILINGUAL CAPABILITY, AND OFFERING SKILLS UPSCORING OPPORTUNITIES. AGAIN, EXCELLENT IDEAS, BUT HOW TO MAKE THEM A REALITY, THAT IS ThE QUESTION. AT THE MOMENT, THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS EDUCATION IS MORE DIRECTED TOWARDS GETTING A CERTIFICATE THAN TO ACQUIRE IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE. ALSO, COMPUTER LITERACY, E.G., STARTS TOO LATE IN THE EDUCATION CYCLE, AND THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH TEACHERS IN THE SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THE NECESSARY DIGITAL SKILLS AT ALL FURTHERMORE, LET’S HOPE THAT THE PROGRAMME WILL TELL US IN THE SPECIFIC CHAPTER HOW IT WANTS TO CHANGE THE ATTITUDE OF THE POPULACE TOWARDS PRODUCTIVIY. WE WILL SEE IN THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER…
- NOW WE GET TO THE OVERVIEW OF THE LAST SUB-PROGRAMME, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CALLS “SUSTAINABLE MOBILISATION”. THIS INCLUDES MOBILISING PUBLIC AWARENESS THROUGH NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, THIS SUB-PROGRAMME INTENDS TO DIRECT EVERYBODY – PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS THE “NORMAL” CITIZEN – TOWARDS THE PROGRAMME. EVERYTHING IS FOCUSSED ON CHANGING REGULATIONS AND PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS OFFERING DAY AND NIGHT SERVICES. IN THIS CONNECTION, WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT MANY PUBLIC SERVICES ARE ALREADY OPERATING AROUND THE CLOCK.CONCERNING ENABLING PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURS TO OPEN THEIR BUSINESS MIGHT IN SEVERAL CASES NOT BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. FOR EXAMPLE, IT MIGHT GIVE SOME PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN BEER BARS AND RESTAURANTS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS AROUND THE CLOCK. THIS WILL NOT BE THE WILL OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
WHAT IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE WHOLE PROGRAMME IS THE “GALAMSEY” PROBLEM, DOES THE GOVERNMENT ASSUME THAT “GALA,MSEY” IS ALREADY WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY, AND IS THEREFORE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAMME?
BE IT AS IT IS: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES – PUBLISHED ONCE A WEEK – WILL DIG DEEPER INTO THE ISSUES ARISING FROM THIS PROGRAMME. THE NEXT ARTICLE WILL DEAL WITH THE CONTEXT OF THE 24H+ ECONOMY.
AND REMEMBER THE SAYING: A CHAIN IS ALWAYS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK.
