MR SAM Ato Gaisie, president of Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG), has urged politicians not to kill the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda initiated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to him, politicians who are mocking the agenda and claiming it cannot be achieved are not doing Ghana any good with their rhetoric.
“The ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda can encourage the raising of internal funds which would create employment. It can also limit the country from borrowing from the international market, where interest rate is very high,” he stated.
He told the DAILY HERITAGE in an interview that, ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ is a laudable idea which must be embraced by all for Ghana to achieve economic freedom.
“Ghanaians should not read political meanings into it but rather rally around it to ensure for once this initiative stands the test of time.
“This ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ should not be seen as the ruling government or President Akufo-Addo thing which must leave with him when he is out of power, but any political party should be interested in it and make it work,” he stated.
Mr Gaisie said as an entrepreneur, he understands that if the government says the theme for this year is ‘Ghana Beyond Aid,’ it does not necessarily mean the country would not borrow at all.
He stated that Ghanaians should not misinterpret it to mean that the country would not borrow or go for aid at all.
“In life there should be plans so if the government puts all its trust and hope in aid to build the country. What if the country we depend on decides not to help again? Our development plans will crash,” he stated.
Caution
According to him, Ghana is blessed with resources to generate income but the attitude of the people and the government ought to change “if we do not want to go for aid.
“We need to build the economy based on ‘Ghana Beyond Aid.’ It is so amazing that the tax base in the country is limited and those who collect the taxes too end up robbing the State.
“It is not about going to the international donor for aid, but a group of individuals can come together and say that they have taken it upon themselves to develop a community with their own money, that one too is aid,” he stated.
He urged the government not to look back but pursue the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda as a national policy.
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