Political interference crippling businesses

Global technology entrepreneur and co-founder of SOFTtribe limited, Mr Herman Chinery-Hesse has called on politicians and government officials to desist from interfering in the activities of business players in the nation’s industrial sector.

“In most cases the politicians are competing with the businessmen in the country because they ‘politicians’ have the money.

What we fear as businessmen is that, if we come up with an idea which has to do with the public sector, one of the fears is that if you go and tell the public sector, the next thing you see, a law has been passed stopping you from doing what you are going to do,” he said.

Speaking on the Citi Business Edition Mr Chinery-Hesse indicated that though most business men were willing to work with the politicians, the threat of politicians attempting to take over their business kept them at bay.

“We need stability at the top so that we can soar but if we don’t generate our local industries we will continue to be slaves” he indicated.

Mr Chinery-Hesse further noted that: “We should not look down on raw material-led growth, don’t forget that African’s raw materials developed Africa. When these raw materials are managed well they can be converted into the industrialisation”.