Govt Asked To Reduce Dependency on External Partners

Ho, Dec. 8, GNA- Mr. Francis Appiah, Executive Secretary of the National Africa Peer Review Mechanism-Governing Council (NAPRM-GC) on Friday underscored the need for government to reduce its dependency on external partners.

He said this was because its continual dependency on outsiders affects the country's economic progression. Mr Appiah said this at a day's sensitization workshop organized by the NAPRM-GC for the Volta Region House of Chiefs in Ho.

It was to present the NAPRM-GC report to the House and solicit its support for the implementation of the report.

Mr. Appiah observed with regret that over half of government's developmental expenditure was externally funded.

He said the unfortunate situation plays down on the country's international image and dignity even as the government tended to beg "those partners" to deliver on their promises.

Mr. Appiah said though the country was making progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals certain policy measures still needed to be adopted to elicit broad based participation and deepen the country's decentralization process.

Mr. Samuel Cudjoe, Principal Programme Officer, NAPRM-GC, said it was unfortunate that the country's economic reform failed to reflect in the pocket of Ghanaians.

He observed that the favourable economic environment was only benefiting foreign investors at the expense of local businessmen. That, he said accounted for the inability of the poor to move out of poverty and called for an improved public service delivery to the local private sector. 08-12-06