Alan Kyerematen, the former minister of trade and industry, has said that his government will prioritise skills training and industrialisation if voted as the president of Ghana in 2024 on the ticket of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said Ghana would have been making about US$50 billion annually if his industrialisation and skills training ideas had been implemented about 22 years ago.
He said if cocoa would have changed Ghana’s economy, that would have happened many years ago. He emphasised the need to focus on other areas of economic development to complement cocoa production.
The former trade minister met with the chiefs and traders in Dambai in the Oti Region to seek their prayer and support for his presidential bid. He said that about 22 years ago, he suggested to the government to invest in palm oil production but it was rejected.
He said Malaysia makes over US$20 billion annually from palm oil production and Bangladesh makes about US$30 billion from dress making. Kyerematen pledged that if he is voted as the next president of Ghana, he will invest in the mass production of palm oil, African wear, cassava and salt to change the economic fortunes of the country.
He appealed to the chiefs and people of the region to support the NPP to continue with the good work it has started in order to break the eight for the first time in the history of Ghana.
He said that the change of the party in government every eight years has affected development in Ghana. He said every government has its own plans, which are usually different from the previous government, thus it explains the refusal to continue with projects started by previous governments.
“The people of Krachi East can boast of a well-functioning yam processing factory at Ado Nkwanta within the Krachi East Municipality. This is a clear indication that the NPP government cares for the people of the Oti Region.
“The NPP government has introduced free senior high school, which has helped many parents. These are the reasons why Ghanaians need to allow the NPP government to continue to stay in power,” he said during his campaign in last February.
During a tour of the Dambai market, Kyerematen commented that the market is one of the well-patronised markets in the region. It is patronised by traders from different parts of the country.
Although it has a huge patronage, the market cannot boast of a well-furnished market with stalls and other commercial buildings. Traders have to sell their goods under the scorching sun. Some traders lamented about their many appeals to the Krachi East Municipal assembly and the regional minister for a market facility but yielded no results. They used the opportunity to appeal for support.
