Accra, Aug. 2, GNA - Mr John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer aspirant, on Monday said wrestling power from the ruling government would require more than mere rhetoric.
He said this needed a strong action-oriented leadership style responsive and responsible to Ghanaians.
"It requires a leader who has demonstrated over the years that he has the experience, exposure and capacity to initiate and direct the implementation of programmes that would create jobs for the people of Ghana and improve the income levels of Ghanaians," he said.
Mr Kyerematen was addressing a press conference in Accra.
The forum was to enable him to share with journalists his campaign message to the 120,000 NPP delegates in the round-up to the election of the party's flagbearer on Saturday, August 7.
Mr Kyerematen said; "Throwing the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) out of power would require something more than mere rhetoric and cannot be predicated on the failure or otherwise of the NDC Government."
He said the party needed to elect as its flagbearer, a leader who had the qualities of bridging different interests groups in the party and mobilising the collective strengths of all members towards the campaign effort of the NPP in Election 2012.
Mr Kyerematen said he represented the winning face of NPP that could attract not only the party's faithful but also floating voters to wrestle power from the ruling NDC party in 2012.
On national issues, he said the two most critical developmental challenges confronting the country were unemployment and poverty.
He gave the assurance that if elected as flagbearer and subsequently as the President, he would work to meet the timelines and targets imposed by Ghana's vision statement on socio-economic development as well as meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
Mr Kyerematen proposed a three-pronged policy framework approach to create jobs and improve the living standards of majority of the citizenry.
These, according to him, included investing in the productive sector of the economy, investing in quality health and education and deepening democratic governance.
Mr Kyerematen outlined some programmes he would like to implement if elected as a President.
He pledged to establish a one-billion dollar public investment syndicated infrastructure fund that would focus on the provisions of roads, energy and water.
"The projects to be financed through the fund would not only create significant job opportunities but would also provide the platform for competitive productive activities by the private sector," he said.
On the tax regime, he suggested a restructuring to reduce the cost of production in industry, agriculture and other productive sectors of the economy.
Mr Kyerematen suggested that government should significantly reduce import duties and Value Added Tax and mobilise more tax revenue from corporate profits.
"The advantage under such a tax regime is that the private sector would be able to create more jobs and contribute more of their revenue and profit to the tax base," he said.
He pledged to work with the Bank of Ghana to reduce the prime rate to below 10 per cent to enable commercial banks lower cost of borrowing.
Mr Kyerematen proposed a private sector investment in the health and educational sectors saying that the move would help reduce the burden on government's budget in these areas.
"In the field of health, I would re-orient government's efforts in providing more direct support and facilitate services to the private sector and other non-governmental institutions to increase investments in the provision of health facilities particularly under the National Health Insurance Scheme," he said.
On deepening democratic governance, Mr Kyerematen pledged to consolidate existing arms of government, security and watchdog institutions as well as improving their human resource capacity to ensure operational efficiency.
He extolled involvement of traditional rulers in local governance and development of special skills for staff operating within the local government administrative structure.
Commenting on the compliments of President John Evans Atta Mills that him as a political gentleman, Mr Kyerematen said "it is an honour to have a sitting President describe you as a political gentleman. That was very kind of him. I don't think there is anything more than that. If you are thinking more than that, then I would think you have another agenda."
Mr Kyerematen refuted allegation that he and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, another NPP flagbearer aspirant and the defeated 2008 NPP Presidential Candidate were not on good terms.
He was appointed in 2003 as a Cabinet Minister with the responsibility for Trade, Industry and the President's Special Initiative Programme under President John Agyekum Kufuor's regime.
