President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana has reiterated his commitment to build a nation that will be defined by integrity, sovereignty, a common ethos, discipline, and shared values.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SNA) in Parliament on Tuesday in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said that Ghana would be a nation “where we aim to be masters of our own destiny, where we mobilise our own resources for the future, breaking the shackles of the “Guggisberg” colonial economy and a mind-set of dependency, bailouts and extraction.
“It is an economy where we look past commodities to position ourselves in a global marketplace. It is a country where we focus on trade, not aid, a hand-up, not a hand-out. It is a country with a strong private sector. It is a country that recognises the connectedness of its people and economy to those of its neighbours.
“This requires a forward-looking vision for our country, enabling us to confront our challenges and embrace our opportunities, not one fastened in the rear-view mirror. It is a Ghana beyond aid.”
Speaking on some of the achievements of the government, President Akufo-Addo said that he had been re-appointed Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS for a second term.
“Under my leadership, and in collaboration with colleagues in the region, we have restored peace and political stability to Mali through a landmark transitional arrangement, which brought under control a period of bloodshed and uncertainty, and which has committed itself to a roadmap for a peaceful, democratic outcome from the transition.
“In addition to strengthening co-operation and deepening bilateral and multilateral trade and economic ties with host countries, it is exciting to note that presidential visits overseas have yielded significant dividends.
“The re-establishment of the Economic, Trade and Investment Bureau of the Ministry has enabled the positioning of the Ministry as a strategic partner to help facilitate domestic and foreign investments in the country.”
He disclosed that the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre has reported, today, a surge in foreign direct investment into our country of US$2.1 billion in 2020, compared to $1.1 billion the previous year, representing a more than 90 percent increase.
GIK/APA