Kufuor to deliver State of the Nation address

Accra, Feb. 4, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor would deliver the State of the Nation address to Parliament on Thursday, February 8. It is a constitutional duty that the President must perform at least once a year, to give account of how the nation is being run. President Kufuor is likely to use the address to highlight the progress made on the four themes that formed the main focus of his 2006 address.

These were: What the 2006 budget was calculated to do in moving the economy further, The stage of the country's socio-economic development at the time, Government's role in assuring rapid implementation of programmes and policies and The main challenge to the body politic in efforts to accelerate growth.


With regard to the growth of the economy, strategies he outlined, included improving the management of the governance system through public sector reform, diversification of the micro-economy by way of promotion of agro-processing, service industries like finance, tourism, transportation and mining-related industries, citing the resuscitation of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO).


On ways to achieve vigorous, purposeful and effective implementation of policies that the Government envisaged, President Kufuor spoke of the restructuring of roles and responsibilities for streamlining the Presidency to optimize the performance of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies on time-action principle.


Again, he touched on a comprehensive youth employment programme with a target, to generate over 170,000 more jobs by the end of 2006. The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), housing, the National Health Insurance Scheme, broadband connectivity, the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project, restoration of the countries prestigious properties such as the refurbishment of the Peduase Lodge and a fitting Presidential mansion also featured prominently.

President Kufuor is therefore expected to inform the nation, the extent to which, the Government's vision and set targets had been achieved as well as the challenges.


He is also more likely to show in this year's address the way forward to enhance the stability and further growth of the economy, the governance system and fair wages.


The Golden Jubilee Celebration and the need for national unity is another area that would receive prominence.