I’ll build strong economy to spur growth — Alan Kyerematen

An Independent Presidential Candidate, Alan Kyerematen, has promised to turn the country’s economic fortunes around  by building a vibrant ecosystem where companies can prosper, develop and grow.

That system, he said, would help create long-term jobs and promote economic growth.

He stated that an enterprise economy would not only turn Ghana's economic fortunes around but would also lay the groundwork for sustained prosperity.

Speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs’ latest evening encounter with the Presidential Candidates in Accra last Tuesday, Mr Kyerematen, who is leading the Alliance for Revolutionary Change (Movement for Change) into the 2024 general elections, said that building an economy based on entrepreneurship, private enterprise and ongoing innovation was essential to generating jobs and promoting innovation.

He said he could not explain the 24-hour economy proposal by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when asked about his opinion on the policy proposal.

"If there are no enterprises, no entrepreneurs and no innovation, what will the 24-hour economy be built on? It will just be a fleeting moment of productivity with no lasting impact," he added.

Galamsey

He said his administration will deploy a comprehensive approach to tackle illegal mining in a manner that creates alternative sources of livelihood for the youth and deters people from mining in water bodies and forest reserves.

He added that a 10-year prison sentence was not sufficient to deter individuals from engaging in galamsey.

Consequently, he advocated for stiffer punitive measures, including life imprisonment, to curb the practice while imposing a one-year ban on illegal mining to clean all the country’s river bodies.

“The introduction of new legislation and regulations will impose a complete ban on any form of mining in river bodies and forest reserves, with associated sanction regimes including life imprisonment for the violation of these new laws.

“Ghanaians, you need to get to the point where when you punish them they will feel the impact of the punishment. If it is just a question of 10 years, the amount of money that they may be getting from galamsey will not be enough deterrent.

They will go in 10 years, come back and continue. So we have to be serious about how we deal with galamsey,” he said. 

As a sustainable solution to end the menace, Mr Kyerematen promised to create youth mining companies and provide them with seed capital to acquire machines and equipment to mine responsibly. 

Powers

Mr Kyerematen touched on reducing the powers of the President under the constitution and enhancing digital connectivity by creating 100,000 free internet hotspots nationwide.

On corruption, Alan Kyerematen pledged to create an independent Anti-Corruption Authority with zero tolerance for corruption.

That, he said, would help root out the canker from public institutions.