NPP Strategy in Tatters - CPP

The CPP has questioned the consistency of policy ideas from the NPP, in a Statement issued to the media by its Communications Directorate in London over the weekend.

The statement quoted Nana Akuffo Addo extensively thus:

“….. the economy that I envisage will grow at about 10% per year, focus on value-addition to raw materials, manufacturing and ensure that the entire machinery of government is geared towards assisting Ghanaians trying to do business. I pledge to reduce the time for processing applications for businesses significantly, to require government to purchase half of its needs from local sources …” Nana Akuffo Addo - 26th June 2008, IEA.

The CPP statement stated that from the moment Hon Nana Akuffo Addo - Presidential Candidate of the NPP - launched his bid to be the Flagbearer of his Party, a main plank of his strategy for his Presidency and his Party was on so called “Indigenous Capitalism”. This has been repeated since his first main speech delivered at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and was the big new theme and idea to differentiate the two terms of President Kufuor and a future term, if the NPP wins the elections, under an Akuffo Addo Government

It quoted Nana Akuffo Addo further saying that at his IEA session he had said “To provide the necessary infrastructure for these enterprises, my government will accelerate the work of the current administration in seeking partners to invest in critical industries like aluminium, iron ore, salt and petrochemicals as well as tourism and ICT”

The CPP noted that Nana Akuffo Addo is part of the same administration which has sought the sale of a substantial portion of Ghana’s Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to Stanbic Bank of South Africa, and is part of the same administration seeking to sell a majority 70% of Ghana Telecom (GT) to Vodafone. The CPP contended that there is an ongoing inconsistency of policy positions from the NPP, that they have had opportunity to demonstrate their stated belief in “Indigenous Capitalism” and have failed, that many now accept that when Nana Akuffo Addo and the NPP talk of seeking partners to invest, this means selling a majority share in state assets.

“Many Ghanaians are baffled on NPP assertions that if voted back into power it will help Ghanaians seeking to do business and Ghanaian businesses to grow” the CPP said.

“How can NPP say it believes in “Indigenous Capitalism” whilst failing at every opportunity to demonstrate that it can assist Ghanaian businesses, but seeks rather to sell off the most precious assets of the country such as GT, the CPP statement asked?

The CPP ‘conclusion was that the NPP strategy on this front was in tatters.

Communications Directorate – www.cppuk.org info@cppuk.org cppyouth@gmail.com