Today in History: We must challenge ourselves – Mohammed Awal to business executives

The then Business Development Minister, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal on May 24, 2017, charged business moguls to challenge themselves to work harder to improve the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate.

He asked them to also collaborate with the government to make Ghana a competitive business economy on the African continent.

Dr Awal made these comments at the Awards Night of Ghana CEO Summit held in Accra.

He said, “Ghana is ranking ninth in Africa, is not the best in terms of GDP. Can we move our GDP from 40 billion to about 80 billion by the close of the year? In four years can we move our GDP from 40 to about 200billion? I think we can do that, we must challenge ourselves. Can we work together to move GDP rate of 3.2 percent to about 6 percent by the close of the year? Can we get GDP rate of 14 percent as we did in 2009, 2010? We can do it; we have the brains to do it."

“Can we improve the challenges, the brains of our young people and make every young person in Ghana entrepreneurial? I think where there are challenges everywhere in business; there are also opportunities in those businesses. Let’s look beyond the challenges, let’s be a bit ambitious and look out for the opportunities, grab them and develop Ghana,” Dr Awal added.

Read the full story originally published on May 24, 2017 by www.ghanaweb.com.

Business Development Minister, Ibrahim Mohammed Awal has called on businesses in the country to challenge themselves by working together with the government in order to improve Ghana’s GDP rate and also develop the country by making it the most competitive business-friendly economy in the continent and the world.

The Minister in his address at the Gala Dinner and Awards Night of Ghana CEO Summit explained that Ghana is ranked ninth in Africa which is not the best in terms of GDP and in order improve and move up the ladder, government will constantly dialogue with the private sectors by creating the space and environment needed to operate as the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo wishes for Ghana to be the most friendly business country in the world.

“Ghana is ranking ninth in Africa, is not the best in terms of GDP. Can we move our GDP from 40billion to about 80billion by close of the year? In four years can we move our GDP from 40 to about 200billion? I think we can do that, we must challenge ourselves. Can we work together to move GDP rate of 3.2 percent to about 6 percent by the close of the year? Can we get GDP rate of 14 percent as we did in 2009, 2010? We can do it; we have the brains to do it” he stated.

The minister advised businesses to challenge and empower young people in the country by making them entrepreneurial.

“Can we improve the challenges, the brains of our young people and make every young person in Ghana entrepreneurial? I think where there are challenges everywhere in business; there are also opportunities in those businesses. Let’s look beyond the challenges, let’s be a bit ambitious and look out the opportunities, grab them and develop Ghana” he said.

The Minister also urged Ghanaians to constantly shower government with issues to push it to fulfil promises and pledges made by the ruling NPP government so as to build the economy by making people job owners and not job seekers.

“I want you to give government a lot of tasks, don’t let us sleep. Constantly bombard us with issues, bombard us, give us sleepless nights, let us constantly fulfil the promises and pledges we made to you that we want to build the business environment. And we want to build indigenous Ghanaian businesses and also help the foreign business to survive. But once they are here, they must partner our local businesses to grow so that together with our young people are not coming out to be job seekers, we want them to be job owners. This we want to promise our young people” he explained while giving his speech at the event.