Mills to operate a mixed-economy

…With Private sector in the lead

The new President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills has promised to operate a mixed economy, allowing the market maximum efficiency, while the state intervenes with policies that would make the ordinary Ghanaian benefit from the robust economy he seeks to create.

He also promises not to pursue policies that see Ghanaian industries suffering from unfair competition.

Prof. Atta Mills made these promises at his coronation at the Independence Square in Accra last Wednesday, assuring local businesses of government’s encouragement to create jobs and play their part in growing the economy of Ghana.

The president reiterated his government’s faith in the four pillars of Investing in people, Job creation, Infrastructural development and Open, Transparent and Accountable Government, on which his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party campaigned and won the 2008 General elections.

“Our success in accomplishing the agenda for change will be measured by the extent to which we realise the vision of a better Ghana where opportunities are available for all our people and where Ghana’s prosperity will reach all, not just a few”, he said.

“I want to reassure the business community that the Government which I lead means well”, President Mills noted, adding, “Our goal is to facilitate creation of a business environment that balances the resuscitation and growth of local industries and enterprises with operations of foreign businesses considered essential to the creation of a robust economy”.

Touching on the fragile state of the economy, the president announced his awareness of the hard challenges that lay ahead of his government, although he would only make the full details known at the end of the transitional period.

President Mills brings to the presidency a vast experience as an accomplished academic, sports and tax administrator, and Vice president who was in charge of the economy at a time unfavorable and worsening terms of trade on the global stage forced the economy of the country onto its knees making the previous NDC government unpopular, yet managing to keep the country together till they were kicked out of office.

He promises to strengthen relations with neighbouring African states and to work towards economic integration in the West African sub region.

“We will continue to be active in the African Union and in efforts to resolve conflicts on the continent, knowing that peace is one major prerequisite for economic and social development”’ said the President.

Earlier in the morning the fifth Parliament of the Fourth republic was also sworn in by the new speaker Mrs. Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford Addo who becomes the first woman to be speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament.