Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu ll, has called for collaboration between the government and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to formulate policies for the “One District One Factory” initiative proposed by the government.
According to Otumfuo Osei Tutu, he was confident that, for the one district one factory initiative to be successful, government had to involve the private sector as they held the biggest part of the country’s economy.
He said, “For one district one factory initiative to succeed, I believe there should be collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce and the Trade Ministry to form some deliberate policies to grow the economy, because the private sector has a very big role to play.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, made the call when some national and regional executives of GNCCI paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace, at the weekend.
He noted that, the initiative would help increase exportation and foreign exchange as well as promote agriculture which had been worse off ever since the discovery of oil in the country.
“The initiative would elevate agriculture to its past glory as it has been the backbone of the economy over the years, it is disappointing to see how agriculture has been neglected and our concentration have been on oil,” he lamented.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged government to provide financial assistance to local investors who would show interest in the initiative, and suggested that, government could offer the “heritage fund” to local investors with low interest rates.
He, stressed on the need for government to create an enabling economic environment with tax flexibility for the private sector, saying “there are times people are met with taxes the moment they decide to set up a business,and this deters a lot of people which, at the long run affect the country.
The Asantehene also advised financial institutions to commit to long term agricultural investments and give out loans to people who would be interested in the one district one factory initiative’ as they had the potentials of creating jobs for the youth in the country.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu further appealed to traditional leaders to release lands to private investors to support the ‘one district one factory initiative’ as the establishment of factories would provide job opportunities for the youth in the area.
The President of the GCCI, Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso, said, GCCI as the leader of the private sector, had a very special interest in the one district one factory initiative and so it would do all that it could for members as well as the country to benefit from the initiative as they were the biggest employer in the country.
“It is no secret that, government only employs only four per cent of workers, the 96 per cent are employed by the private sector, and so, without the private sector, the government cannot be successful with the initiative, we intend to collaborate with government and see how we can create more jobs and improve the economy with this,” Nana Dankawoso, stated.
From Kingsley E. Hope and Faustina Kwabea Osei, Kumasi
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