Ghana Beyond Aid doesn’t mean we dislike aid – Osafo-Maafo

The senior minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has accused some development partners of misconstruing the meaning of government’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.

Mr Osafo-Maafo who is the chairman of the Ghana Beyond Aid committee, Mr. Osafo-Marfo indicated that the development of the document, which seeks to guide Ghana towards an irreversible pathway of progress and prosperity, does not mean Ghana is averse to aid.

“Some development partners have misinterpreted it to mean Ghana does not require aid but that is not it”, he said on Tuesday during a development partners forum on the document.

He explained that Ghana may still require support from development partners, except that, with the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, the country now decides the kind of aid which will better serve the needs of the nation and its people.

“Ghana may need aid but we must determine the areas, the kind of aid we need and how to use it as a country”, he explained.

Mr Osafo-Maafo indicated the Ghana Beyond Aid policy document, though launched by President Akufo-Addo on May 1, is still a work in progress which has been reviewed by cabinet, Council of State and “now development partners”.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo displaying the Ghana Beyond Aid document at the May Day celebrations in Accra He said the committee will in the coming days engage the National House of Chiefs and subsequently the press, for further deliberations on the document.

Present at the meeting include were partners from the USA, Israel, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Brazilian.