President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has bemoaned the still persistent colonial structures of the economy, observing that it continues to have a negative effect on the country.
But he assured that decisive steps will be taken to break away from this raw-material-producing and exporting economy to a modern, value-adding and industrialised one.
He said before the advent of Covid-19 and later the ravages of the Russia-Ukraine war, all indicators of the economy were pointing to meeting this goal.
President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, August 4, when he addressed senior citizens at a banquet held in their honour to mark this year’s Founders’ Day.
The banquet was held at the Banquet Hall of the Jubilee House with Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in attendance.
The President said in spite of the difficulties with the economy, a lot has also been achieved.
This, he insists, is as a result of his preoccupation to industrialising it by breaking away “from the neo-colonial structure of the raw material-producing and exporting economy which has largely been our lot and take decisive steps and reach our goal of building a Ghana beyond aid”.
“As President of the Republic, I have been preoccupied with making my leadership of Ghana a period above all that our nation lays the foundation from exporting raw materials and retailing of imported goods to a modern, value-adding industrialised one.”
He cited how more are now enrolled in senior high school (SHS) more than ever before, for free, “to meet the needs of our modern economy and prepare our young people to compete on the global stage”.
“The digital revolution is changing the face of our society and our country and soon we will take a deserved place as a modern economy.”
He added that his government has constructed more railways than any other government in the Fourth Republic and constructed more infrastructure in the Zongo communities than any other in this current Fourth Republican dispensation.