He said his administration met a difficult situation but had attained great milestones and would be paid back with victory, adding that “we will not be complacent; we will work hard for victory, regardless of the fact that ‘one good turn deserves another.’

We need four more years to do more, especially four more for Nana”.

Results Fair inaugurated

The President said this when he opened the maiden Ghana Results Fair, a platform to exhibit policy outcomes of ministries, departments and agencies to showcase the impact the interventions and flagship polices implemented by the government has had on the lives of Ghanaians.

Organised by the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, the three-day fair is on the theme:

“Delivering Results to Our Citizens: A Work in Progress”.

The President said the fair was an indication of the commitment the government attached to the expansion of inclusivity and accountability and that it would serve as medium for open engagement between ministries and Ghanaians.

He added that it would also provide an avenue for receiving first-hand information and feedback from the beneficiaries of the success or otherwise of government programmes and achievements.

Economy

Touching on the macroeconomic situation, President Akufo-Addo said his administration inherited a dire one, marked by a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.6 per cent, fiscal deficit of 9.3 per cent, inflation at 15.4 per cent, and a weak external reserves position.

He said the banking sector was affected by poorly capitalised, weak and insolvent institutions, with potentially grave consequences for the entire financial system, while agricultural and industrial activities were down.

Solutions

He expressed confidence that the programmes and policies his government was undertaking would revive the Ghanaian economy, improve the health and social wellbeing of citizens, create a society of opportunities for all and help put Ghana back on to the path of progress and prosperity.

“Indeed, many were those who made disparaging remarks about our policies, and went as far as describing them as election gimmicks.

However, by dint of hard work, we have implemented these flagship programmes and we have begun to see their impacts throughout the country, with the overarching vision being to realise our vision of moving Ghana to a situation beyond aid,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Rice

The President noted that due to the positive impact of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme, Ghana was in the process of reducing the importation of rice, with some 785,000 tonnes of rice milled in Ghana last year, adding that by 2022 the country would be self-sufficient in the production of rice.

He said the country had witnessed two bumper years of produce, and, last year, Ghana did not import a single grain of maize, unlike in previous years.

“On the contrary, we are now a net exporter of foodstuffs,” he added.

On the One District, One Factory policy, the President told the gathering that 181 factories were being constructed, and were at different stages of completion across the country.

He announced that presently 58 factories, under the scheme, were functioning and another 26 were under construction, with another 26 projects set to commence implementation by the first quarter of 2020.

Results

The Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, said indications were that the policies and programmes put in by the Akufo-Addo Administration had achieved a great deal of success.

He said the policies and programmes had also benefited many Ghanaians and the fair was to provide the public with the opportunity to access the impact of the success story on the people.