We are on course to building a strong economy – Prez. Akufo-Addo

This, he said, is a sure way towards building a prosperous nation where resources are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of the people.
The President, speaking at the Africa Business Leadership and Kingdom Summit, held at the Action Chapel International in Accra last Friday, emphasised his government’s commitment to deliver on the mandate given it by the people of Ghana.
“Our success or failure will be judged by the capacity of the economy under our watch to provide opportunities, to inspire people to start new businesses, to encourage businesses to invest, grow and expand, and, above all, to create jobs. We all know in Ghana that widespread unemployment is the greatest threat to our future stability and social coherence”. 
According to the President, the preoccupation of his government, over the last seven months, has been to put in place programmes and policies geared towards building the most business-friendly economy in Africa, to be a magnet for investment. 
“We have begun establishing the relevant policy framework that will help businesses to expand and create jobs, with the view, also, to promoting the growth and development of entrepreneurship. We are doing this, by keeping firmly in our minds, in particular, the needs of our young people”. 
He emphasised that during the past few decades, the countries that have made rapid economic strides have been the ones that have encouraged high levels of investment in entrepreneur development, which has led to the acceleration of economic growth and the creation of jobs. 
“We can learn a lot from this global trend and promote a conducive and business-friendly environment in our country. It should not really be a difficult thing for us to do. The wealth of this nation was built on the private sector and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ghanaian people. Ghanaians are renowned for their sense of enterprise, creativity and innovation, and the moment has come to reinvigorate that culture”.
Effectively, he said government is working assiduously to put in place measures needed to reduce the cost of doing business and improve the business environment. 
“We have begun to act on the fundamentals of our economy. This has resulted in the growing stability of the macro-economy and the cedi, reduction in inflation, and an abolition of nuisance taxes whose aim is to shift the focus of the economy from taxation to production. All these measures are being undertaken to stimulate enterprise activity and growth. Very soon, we shall reap the benefits of more jobs and an expanding economy”.
He further mentioned his government’s resolve to create the enabling environment to make the SME sector flourish to support job creation for Ghanaians.
Fighting corruption
The President further noted that policies have been put in place to ensure that the country’s resources are judiciously used for the benefit of all by reducing corruption to the barest minimum.
“This Ghana will be defined by integrity, sovereignty, common belief, discipline, and shared values. It is one where we aim to be masters of our own destiny, where we mobilise our own resources for the future, breaking the shackles of the ‘Guggisberg’ colonial economy and freeing ourselves from a mindset of aid, dependence, charity and handouts. It is an economy where we look past commodities to position ourselves in a global marketplace. It is a Ghana beyond Aid”.