Prez calls for public suggestions to solve country's problems

President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Monday that his administration does not claim to have exclusive wisdom or answers to the problems of the country. It is, therefore, open to public suggestions in the search for solutions.

He said some of the measures the government has taken might seem wrong to some people although such decisions are arrived at through the evaluation of the facts available and in the interest of Ghana.

President Kufuor was speaking at the opening of the Homecoming Summit for Ghanaians abroad organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre on the theme: "Harnessing the global Ghanaian resource for accelerated development."

The summit, the first of its kind, has attracted about 1,000 Ghanaians of varying professional and business backgrounds who are expected to brainstorm on how to go beyond their annual remittances of about 400 million dollars to investment in all sectors of the economy.

President Kufuor said his government has taken a number of very difficult decisions, all of which are calculated at restoring the economy to health.

"Unfortunately, until the full effects of these decisions are realised, we are bound to incur some unpopularity in certain quarters. But this is expected we are the first to admit that having taken the right decisions, things must get slightly worse before they get better."

President Kufuor said his administration took over an ailing economy, which needs sustained discipline for things to get better.

He called on participants to evaluate the problems of the country and make the right contributions that can restore economic stability and sustained accelerated growth.

The President urged Ghanaians abroad to come home and help rebuild the economy or continue to remit money for investments and for the upkeep of their families.

"But it isn't just your money that we need, we need your skills and your contacts and your connections. These days, technology means it is possible to make an input from half way around the world."

President Kufuor said his government is aware of the frustrations confronting Ghanaians abroad especially when they want to clear their goods from the ports, the demand of bribes from customs officials and other irregularities.

He asked them to go beyond these problems and suggest ways of improving on such services.