Dr Kingsley Nyarko, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, has called for a conscious effort to invest in the development of the country's human resources.

He said vibrant and productive human resources were critical in harnessing the country's abundant natural resources and transforming them to promote the needed socio-economic development.

Dr Nyarko made the call when he addressed the Students Parliament of the Akenten Appiah-Minkah University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAM-USTED) in Kumasi.

It was on the theme: "The impact of Social and Economic Growth on academic development in Ghana."

He said the prosperity of the country would depend on the ability of the people to use their skills and expertise to mobilize resources and transform them into beneficial goods and services for the benefit of the people.

It was in the light of this, that the NPP government was working hard to improve access to quality education and human resource development to provide the requisite skills and attitudes that would enable the people, especially the youth to unearth their potentials to speed up the economic transformation of the nation.

"Economic development of a country only occurs when natural and financial resources are harnessed and maintained properly by efficient human resources," he stated.

Dr Nyarko pointed out that a situation where the country's imports far exceeded its exports distorted the balance of trade and devalued the currency, saying "a country which depends on importation of goods and services cannot survive."

The MP said the continued devaluation of a country's currency could have a huge impact on the everyday life of the people since the value of a currency was one of the biggest determinants of a nation's economic performance and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Dr Nyarko called for concerted efforts to expand the country's economy to create more jobs, reduce imports and increase exports to increase foreign exchange earnings and investments.

"When there is economic growth, the country gets more financial resources to embark on infrastructural development such as the building of more schools, hospitals, roads and others to improve the lives of the people", he stated.