The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Phillip Naameh, has asked government to engage civil society organisations for solutions to the current economic and social crises in the country.
Addressing the annual plenary session of the Conference at Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region, Most Rev Naameh suggested getting the CSOs on board the negotiations for International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, for instance, is a matter of necessity.
“I call on government as a matter of necessity to engage the Civil Society Organisations to improve the economic and social situations of the the country.”
He further explained: “The CSOs because of the nature of their work have knowledge and competent people on every sector of the Economy who will be more than willing to offer their expertise in the service of the nation. Some of these CSOs can be part of negotiations or the signing of economic agreements between the government and other agencies.
“For instance, the government could involve some of them in the IMF negotiations or programmes.”
The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference also urged government to reconsider and have wider engagement on decisions that have divided public opinion to avoid implementation challenges.
“More consultation should be done in order to address the concerns, especially of those who may not be in support of the policy for genuine reasons.
“Also other political parties could be consulted on the national policies even if they are in opposition.
“The voices of religious organisations including the Catholic Church needs to be heard. All of us have the interest of the state at heart and are ready to offer good advice on every issue on national and economic interest.”