General News of Monday, 22 September 2008

Source: GBC

Akufo-Addo promises a BILLION cedis for Artisans

The Standard bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo says Ghana is set for an industrial take off, with the Suame Light Industrial Area in Kumasi earmarked to facilitate the processes if he becomes the next President.

For this reason, his government plans to set aside an initial one billion Ghana cedis (approx. one billion Dollars) to empower the artisans to venture into innovations, while boosting their businesses.

Addressing a mini-rally at the Suame Light Industrial Area, Nana Akufo-Addo explained that the Kufuor-led government has secured a 24-million dollar loan from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, to upgrade the Light Industrial Area, in recognition of its strategic importance to Ghana ’s economic aspirations.

Nana Akufo-Addo promised to first ensure the construction of the area’s road network, build schools and strengthen security mechanisms before tackling other aspects of the development. He explained that the free apprenticeship component of the new education reform also seeks to facilitate Ghana ’s industrialization pursuit and therefore urged the people to take the programme seriously.

Nana Akufo-Addo said Pragmatic policies will be formulated and implemented to propel Ghana ’s cocoa production to the set target of one million tons.

A leading member of the NPP Campaign Team and former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremateng, noted that with a congenial environment, the Light Industrial Area in Kumasi and that of Kokompe in Accra can manufacture automobiles.

It is on this basis that the NPP government has given the areas the needed attention to enable them to lead in the country’s industrialization agenda.