World Bank to focus on Ghana's agriculture

The World Bank on Tuesday said it would shift its focus on Ghana from the service and construction industry to agriculture to reduce poverty.

Mr Peter Harrold, the bank's country director for Ghana, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that there is the need to re-direct the operation of the bank to the restoration of growth in agriculture and to promote farmers' education.

He said it is when the farmer is empowered to produce more for export and for the country to register macro-economic growth that poverty would reduce. Poverty reduction he said, should be tackled with a multi-pronged approach and must be linked with the provision of social services such as community-based good health policy including the supply of portable water, adding that growth lies in improvement in agriculture.

He said there is much growth in the services, construction and export sectors but not much has been achieved in agriculture. "There is much work to be done to reduce poverty. And we must continue working. We cannot just give money to the poor but we can empower them to generate wealth", he said.

Mr Harrold said any money the bank gives to Ghana "is Ghana's and the bank has no control over it. It should be used as the country desires". He said the previous government had elaborate procedures of its use of the bank's money and parliament could continue to exercise oversight control of the money to ensure accountability in public accounts.