Pianim calls for change of national attitude

Accra, May 19, GNA - Mr Kwame Pianim, Chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), on Thursday called for national attitudinal transformation for attainment of accelerated development. "For Ghana to make serious progress towards attaining accelerated and sustainable development to improve our living standards, we need to transform our national attitudes," he said.

"The time has come for our leaders to look more into the eyes of our citizens for evidence of our performance than to look to the benchmarks of our development partners for the success of our national efforts," Mr Pianim stated at public forum in Accra. The forum, organized by the Ghana National Museums and Monuments Board (GNMMB) was on the theme, "National Museum - An Asset For Development."

It was aimed at using the museums as a source of national inspiration, rebuilding national confidence, pride and solidarity. Mr Pianim, who was speaking to the theme, noted that economic development was about providing opportunities for people to have choice to develop their talents fully, apply their skills to work in dignity, live as respected and useful members of the community, be in good health and at peace with neighbours and enjoy a reasonably decent standard of living.

He referred to government's dependence on the private sector as the engine for growth saying, the sole dependence on the private sector was not attainable.

"It is like using the engine of a corn mill to move an articulated truck. It may move but at a very slow pace.

"This explains the slow take-off of the economy. We continue to propound theories upon theories but we have neglected the necessary mechanism for accelerated growth."

Mr Pianim said the public and private sectors must work together for accelerated economic growth.

He called on the Ministry of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City to collaborate with GNMMB for the development of a nascent tourist industry and broaden the scope of tourism.

He said the main interest of most American and European tourists who came to Ghana was the slave castles to see their roots, draw inspiration from the historical role that Ghana played in the struggle for political independence and evidence of the slave trade. He called for national support for the revamping of the museum sector to attract tourists.