Ghana: will anything change with the Senchi Consensus

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• Kokroko 11 years ago

  Any serious Ghanaian economist dealing with our economic problems should already have all the vital data at his fingertips. If they lack any, they could require such from government. Ghanaian economists living outside the cou ...
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  Any serious Ghanaian economist dealing with our economic problems should already have all the vital data at his fingertips. If they lack any, they could require such from government. Ghanaian economists living outside the country and dealing with non-Ghanaian economic problems may not have all the necessary data. I don't know if such have been invited.
  
  The main opposition party, which should at any time be ready to govern and have alternative policy plans (shadow ministers, shadow budgets, etc), cannot complain of not having the data.
  
  Perhaps the NDC should've put in a lot more preparation for the forum but not for the reasons you give.
  
  The conference was called a "forum" and this may be for a purpose. The govt may think we have a problem but not a crisis. A forum is a loose term - something asking for views rather than a desperate call from someone who doesn't know what to do. The Greek and Italian situations were different because they belong to a economic and monetary associations that put pressure on them to reform since actions in those individual countries have far reaching effects on other members of the union who will be called upon to bail them out. Ghana does not stand in the same relationship with the rest of ECOWAS.
  
  The NDC have two more years to turn things around. Perhaps they have in place some policies which are biting hard now but which will start to yield results in two years time. If things don't change and Ghanaians have reasons to believe that another group of politicians (not technocrats) will do it better, they can boot out the present govt only based on economic (mis)performance. But if the structural problems are deep seated, another government may not be able to solve the problems either. We need some very hard measures that will produce more hardship now but will yield results in the medium term. No political party in Ghana has the guts to put those measures into effect.

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• insight to the bone 11 years ago

  why are these NDC idiots crying , wailing and gnashing their teeth about the NPP not participating in their foolish propaganda gimmick labeled the economic waste of time chop money forum? Even their own duffuor and peprah or ...
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  why are these NDC idiots crying , wailing and gnashing their teeth about the NPP not participating in their foolish propaganda gimmick labeled the economic waste of time chop money forum? Even their own duffuor and peprah or worthy businessmen like Sam Jonah and Ken Agyapong amongst others distanced themselves from that farce or hastily prepared event. did they not so long ago say they have a better agenda , action year, manifesto , no need for an all inclusive govt or tapping into the potentials of even the diaspora , no need for free education in the south too, no need to investigate the mysterious death of Mills , encouraging sodomy and homosexuality , govt still in first gear or now in reverse or completely stopped for lack of the fuel of ideas . In fact things are so bad that the long overdue reshuffle can not happen as all worthy , competent people with integrity refuse to participate in the mess of a govt or serve under and idiot of a pepeni president Mahama. Even schoolboy fifi kwetey admits the forum is unnecessary as our problems are all about NDC POLITICS and their incorrigible rouge socialism which further pushes our people to poverty . if you speak up and dont sing their hallelujah chorus of stupidity and hatred of the Akans you will be immediately be branded a drug baron , corrupt , arrogant , ashanti/akyem primitive ,madman , deranged , fool or idiot for pointing them in the right direction . how can there be a successful economic dialogue that will produce sustainable macroeconomics and plans based on the positive potentials of our people if all the major stakeholders including the diaspora or promoters of worthy projects not invited . if no one can dare to criticize the govt for fear of being victimized or persecuted by the ewes and northerners today ? The potential of the majority due to this tribal ndc politics is excluded from participating in anything so how do they expect the move things forward in reality have nothing to offer except corruption , hatred of the Akans and narrow mindedness? petition or not this govt is burdened by being illegitimate in the minds of all citizens ( as all still suspect election rigging and corruption of the judges ) so can never perform or have the true authority and support of the majority to produce a better future.one way or another they will be made to leave as their despicable acts have lead to all victims deeply despising them. PV is gone and all we can say is we feel relief that one more evil traitor of the Akans has gone to hell

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• Antiochus - London 11 years ago

  Absolutely nothing will change. No work done, efficiency zero.

  Absolutely nothing will change. No work done, efficiency zero.

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• SELORM 11 years ago

  We can't be overly pessimistic. If we really want to change the way we do things, then we must change the way we do things.
  
  If we have something new on the drawing board, let's try and implement them to the letter and spi ...
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  We can't be overly pessimistic. If we really want to change the way we do things, then we must change the way we do things.
  
  If we have something new on the drawing board, let's try and implement them to the letter and spirit contained in it.

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• LONTO-BOY 11 years ago

  Dr Yaw Ohemeng, the NDC Government came to power to pursue its economic strategy and deliver results. My point is that even if economically this National Economic Forum is a good step, designed to deal with the country's eco ...
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  Dr Yaw Ohemeng, the NDC Government came to power to pursue its economic strategy and deliver results. My point is that even if economically this National Economic Forum is a good step, designed to deal with the country's economic crisis, the core of the problem lies with the irredeemably incompetent and corrupt NDC Government.
  
  Will the Senchi Consensus fix the economy or put Ghana on the right economic track? There is the old English adage, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." The reality is that the Senchi Consensus is built on broad economic strategies and diagnosis. It's up to the NDC Government to implement the recommended economic strategies and bold prescriptions.

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• Kobena 11 years ago

  "Methinks that if the government really intended to make inroads into the present economic problems, it would have constituted a committee of economists and other experts to prepare an in-depth report on the present difficult ...
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  "Methinks that if the government really intended to make inroads into the present economic problems, it would have constituted a committee of economists and other experts to prepare an in-depth report on the present difficulties. Such a report, delivered in a timely manner, would have informed participants’ research into the solutions to the problems."
  
  Yaw this is an excellent piece, and to think that it comes from a Nuclear Engineer, not an economist! I also believe that the format of the forum was just a waste of time and money. I have not had the opportunity to read any of the major presentations, except that of my old Senior Prefect Dr K Y Amoako. Hi paper which was based on a very detailed research by his institute should have been the major platform for the forum. It had all the prescriptions for tackling the inherent problems in the economy - the excessive borrowing, the corruption, the cloudy state purchasing procedures,
  that knee jerk taxation edicts, etc.
  
  How could the president, for instance, go to a Kumasi shoe factory and announce on the cuff that school children should be given free shoes from the factory? Which part of the budget would cater for that? Meanwhile, serious statutory disbursements like school feeding, "free tuition for the north" and even some government departments and ministries' subventions have not been paid for for months.
  
  You are right, this forum was just a gimmick, one the NDC is going to use for propaganda purposes. We simply have a government that has no clue about what is going on!

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• Kobena 11 years ago

  Correction "......the excessive borrowing, the corruption, the opaque and cloudy state purchasing procedures, the knee jerk taxation edicts, etc."

  Correction "......the excessive borrowing, the corruption, the opaque and cloudy state purchasing procedures, the knee jerk taxation edicts, etc."

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• MARCUS AMPADU 11 years ago

  Dr. Yaw Ohemeng, I agree with you totally that "
  economic analyses require data and facts" , and without these we are left with nothing but empty, rhetorical generalizations; which in the absence of NPP participation, is fu ...
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  Dr. Yaw Ohemeng, I agree with you totally that "
  economic analyses require data and facts" , and without these we are left with nothing but empty, rhetorical generalizations; which in the absence of NPP participation, is further going to drag the so-called Senchi Consensus to the periphery of worthless hyper generalizations.
  
  We the people of Ghana must continue the narrative that ensues from the NEF; the NDC administration cannot, and must not be allowed to monopolize the narrative. All the political parties must participate in how they want Ghana's intractable economic problems to be dealt with to make any meaningful progress towards our desire to acquire middle level income status.
  
  In my humble opinion, the new narrative has to include the following:
  1. How we tackle urban bias
  2. How we approach micro and macro-economic challenges
  3. Extending electrification to the rural areas, using renewable sources of energy, to facilitate the setting up of cottage industries
  4. Ensuring food security
  5. Safeguarding all our natural resources
  6. Providing adequate and affordable health care
  7. Building new townships with affordable housing
  8. Massive road and rail constructions
  9. Ensuring full employment for the youth.

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