We will support ‘1 village, 1 dam’ - Investors

The Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), a non-profit, non-political and autonomous institution, has declared its support for the implementation of the ‘One Village, One Dam Project’, contained in the 2016 Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Federation said it would do its best within its capability to support the incoming Nana Addo-led administration to undertake the project, which its members have described as laudable and one that would help farmers in the country.

Delivering his speech at the post-AGM Private Sector Forum of the PEF in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PEF, Nana Osei-Bonsu, noted that agriculture is the key to Ghana’s industrialisation and that should appropriate measures be put in place, the economy could grow well with the Agric sector.

According to him, the PEF and its members were committed to partnering the incoming government to ensure that, at least, farmers in the country get enough water to enjoy all year round farming, as pertained in other parts of the world.

He continued that the PEF would lay a pipeline to supply water from Ada to the Northern Region to ensure that there was adequate water for farming, especially, in the dry season, saying the move would go a long way to help the ‘One Village, One Dam Policy’ of the NPP.

The CEO, however, urged Nana Addo to put measures in place to ensure that politicians did not compete with the private sector for contracts, adding that the enormous taxes that were negatively affecting the stability of the microeconomic enterprises to become competitive, be removed.

Nana Osei-Bonsu further beseeched the Akufo-Addo administration to review the performance of the economy, and its impact on the private sector, within a month following the end of each quarter.

Meanwhile, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President-elect, in his keynote address, reiterated the NPP’s strategies for the private sector. He indicated all his policies would be implemented in collaboration with the private sector.

Nana Addo added that the vision for the next four years of his government was to modernise agriculture, improve production efficiency, and achieve food security and profitability for farmers, with the aim of significantly increasing agricultural productivity.

“We have identified some key initiatives integral to our Industrial Development Strategy, which we intend to implement vigorously. I refer, in particular, to the One District One Factory initiative, and I want to emphasise that this policy will be implemented in collaboration with the private sector,” Nana Addo posited.