We're making steady progress – Bawumia

The results of the policies and programmes being implemented by the Akufo-Addo government will soon make Ghana a by-word for rapid transformational development in Africa, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated.

The Vice President is confident that programmes such as the radical transformation in the education sector through the introduction of Free Senior High School; implementation of paperless processes at the ports; digitisation of land records with an eye towards developing a mortgage market; establishment of the three Development Authorities to bring development to the doorstep of locals, and an over-arching desire to formalise the Ghanaian economy with the help of technology would soon make Ghana a very attractive place to live and work.

And, while putting in place the critical soft infrastructure, Government is also keeping an eye on the deprived and disadvantaged, reducing electricity and water tariffs, abolishing nuisance taxes, and expanding the welfare safety net by increasing the share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund allocated to Persons with Disability (PWDs) while expanding the School Feeding Programme and providing direct cash grants to many more deprived households through the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

Vice President Bawumia, who was addressing the 2018 edition of the joint Annual Dinner and Dance of the United Kingdom branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Young Executives Forum (YEF) on Saturday 20th October, 2018, called on all Ghanaians to put their shoulders to the wheel and help the Akufo-Addo government to succeed, as the benefits of such success will inure to the benefit of all.

“It is the responsibility of all Ghanaians to work hand-in-hand to ensure the success of the Akufo-Addo administration. We dare not fail Ghanaians. On our part as Government, we are hard at work cleaning up the mess we inherited, and ensuring restoration of the macro-economic stability necessary for lift-off.

“We have achieved remarkable results in many areas, such as agriculture, industry, inflation targeting and the rest. As you know, we have introduced the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme, the true benefits of which will be felt 10, 20 years from now when we have a highly literate youth who can think and make informed decisions. This year, through the innovative Double Track System, we have provided access to some 181,000 youths who would otherwise have been denied access to senior high school education.”

Vice President Bawumia continued, “At a go, we have provided opportunities for 100,000 graduates to gain practical experience while getting paid at the same time through the Nation Builders Corps. 100,000 graduates. That is no mean feat. As well, we have more than doubled the Capitation Grant We have established the three Development Authorities and set up the Zongo Development Fund.

“We have increased the portion of the District Assembly Common Fund for persons with disabilities from 2% to 3%, we have expanded the school feeding program from 1.6 million to 2.1 million, we have expanded LEAP to cover an additional 150,000 people, and we are paying the BECE examination registration for students.

“At the same time we have embarked on an aggressive agenda to formalise the Ghanaian economy with the help of technology. Nationwide issuance of a National ID will soon start. Every 5-by-5square feet in Ghana has a unique digital address. Passport acquisition will soon be done online. Ghanaians back home can attest to the fact that acquiring or renewing your driver’s licence is no longer the hustle it used to be.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there are exciting times ahead for Ghana, and I will urge you all to contribute your quota towards this monumental effort to ensure Ghana’s development” Vice President Bawumia indicated.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, H.E Papa Owusu Ankomah, lauded the Ghanaian community for their comportment and a longstanding commitment to helping develop Ghana through physical and mental contributions.