Korean Ambassador lauds Akufo-Addo’s One –District- One- factory initiative

The Korean Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Sungsoo Kim has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's One District, One Factory initiative, saying it will help in the socio-economic development of the nation.

The ‘One-District-One-Factory’ programme targets to establish at least one factory or enterprise in each of the 216 districts of Ghana as a means of creating economic growth poles that would accelerate the development of those areas and create jobs for the teeming youth.

The policy aims to transform the structure of the economy from one dependent on production and export of raw materials to a value-added industrialised economy, driven primarily by the private sector.

According to Mr Kim, the initiative will help improve the economic fortunes of the state and also bring about development.

Korea's experience

In an interview with Graphic Online in Accra, he said a similar project was introduced in Korea with its government investing in heavy industries such as chemical, steel mill, and ship building which he noted, led to the economic growth of the nation.

He added that the government also introduced what was known as the new village movement in the 1970s.

The Ambassador explained that with the movement, the Korean government supported each village with materials to construct their own bridges and houses.

He said through the initiative, villagers were also encouraged to rebuild their houses with the materials given them.

That, he said led to the changing of most of the traditional buildings in the villages into modern structures.

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Invest in vocational education                                                                                                                                                                                                    Meanwhile Ambassador Kim has called on the government to take a second look at the country’s educational system for the needed development.

He said the government must focus on investing in vocational education rather than academic education.

He said the government should establish national vocational institutions in all the regions to equip Ghanaian children with vocational skills free off charge.

“Government should take leadership in changing the education system and introducing more children to every level of education, not only the academic area but vocational education is very important”

Citing his country as an example of how vocational education has transformed Korea, he said the country’s per capita income was less than 100 dollars in 1960 and was lower than Ghana.

“Our experience in Korea, government established in every region a national educational vocational school, it was free, no school fees. Therefore the poor children or rich children if they want to take vocational school then they can enter into it”.

He said through the above process 80 per cent of Koreans were graduates and 99 per cent of children in Korea had gone to senior secondary school.