Movement for Change prescribes solutions to country’s problems

Alan Kyerematen yesterday diagnosed Ghana’s economy as suffering from excessive borrowing.

He has, therefore, prescribed “the Great Transformational Plan, which will build an Enterprise Economy in Ghana, focusing on private enterprise, innovation and the unleashing of the entrepreneurial spirit of Ghanaians” as he advanced arguments in favour of his Movement for Change.

At a packed event in Accra, the former Minister of Trade and Industry said: “This is what will take Ghana forward to occupy its rightful place in the comity of nations as the Black Star of Africa, and the shining star of the continent, and the first country south of the Sahara to become independent”.

Instead, he appealed to the electorate to elect him “as the first Independent candidate to become the President of Ghana”, pledging that he would “install a new government of national unity that will mobilise the collective strengths and talents of all Ghanaians, and not only a privileged few, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic affiliation”.

Mr Kyerematen proposed the elimination of the existing compounded calculation of VAT by consolidating the NHIA and GETFund levies with the VAT rate. He also said he would abolish the two per cent special import levy, the COVID-19 health recovery levy, the Ghana Health Service disinfection fee and all taxes and other charges on the importation of spare parts within two years of his administration, He also pledged a government of National Unity and to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the relevance of all administrative fees, service charges and levies imposed at the ports, with a view to eliminating all nuisance taxes and reducing the tax burden on importers.

The proposals, presented as a superior option to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), were submitted to a willing audience in the capital that included traditional rulers, the clergy, captains of industry, the diplomatic community and members of academia.

It was the second high-profile engagement of the public by the Yellow Butterfly family following Mr Kyerematen’s defection from the NPP in September 2023 as the movement affirmed its desire to contest the 2024 general election.

In a speech that sought to persuade the electorate to discard the current NPP-NDC duopoly and offer opportunity to the independent proposition of the Movement for Change, Mr Kyerematen laid the country’s woes at the doorstep of the two parties that had alternated power since the advent of the Fourth Republic.

“Both the NDC and NPP have had the opportunity of being in charge of this country, for the last 32 years. I believe, in all sincerity, that they have exhausted their capabilities and competencies, and ought not to be restored or retained in power, considering the fact that they have not demonstrated either by word or deed that they have any plan for Ghana.

“Five months to a general election, we are still waiting for their manifestos. Between the two parties, over the three decades that they have been in power, they have resorted to extensive borrowing to finance their manifesto promises. The culture of unrestrained borrowing is what has landed us into the ditch in which we find ourselves.

“A significant component of the loans that have been acquired have gone into financing consumption, the repayment of existing loans and investments in social services, that typically do not generate any economic returns in the immediate, short to medium term, and, therefore, limit our capacity to service the loans,” Mr Kyerematen said.

He described the Great Transformational Plan (GTP) as “the most comprehensive policy framework” that will move Ghana “from instability to stability to growth, to resilience and finally to prosperity”.

“In my humble opinion, we are where we are now because we have brought this upon ourselves,” he said to a chorus of cheers from supporters, many of whom once identified with the NPP until his defection, specifically mentioning “failed leadership, the divisiveness in our political space and our unproductive attitude, behaviour and mindset” as being responsible for the decline of Ghana’s economy. 

GTP

Mr Kyerematen said the GTP aimed to build an enterprise economy, fostering private enterprise, innovation and entrepreneurship, which he said, was categorised into six interrelated clusters – Economic, Governance, Infrastructure, Social Services, Environment, Science, Technology and Natural Resource Management, and Behavioural and Mindset Change.

Each cluster, he said, had some pillars, thematic areas and policy prescriptions or solutions, saying the plan was significantly different from the manifestos that had been presented by political parties that had been in power for decades.

He said the policy solutions under the GTP were concise, clear and action-oriented. The Economic Cluster, he said, consisted of four pillars, namely the Macroeconomy, Industrial Transformation, a New Agricultural Revolution and Tourism.

On Expenditure Management and Control, he said he would reduce the current size of government and run a lean Executive administration, consisting of not more than 40 ministers.     
He said he would also eliminate sole sourcing in public procurement and contracting to ensure value for money, which had over the years been a major source of the bloating of government expenditure.

Mr Kyerematen expressed hope for a new era of peace and prosperity, positioning Ghana as the Black Star of Africa and a shining star on the continent.

Alliance

Earlier, some members of the Alliance for Revolutionary Change made up of political entities and individuals, took turns to address the gathering and endorse the candidacy of Mr Kyerematen as an Independent presidential aspirant and appealed to the electorate to vote for him to become the President and chart a new course for the country.

They included the founder and leader of National Interest Movement (NIM) and a former flag bearer of the Convention's People's Party, Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster; the founder and leader of Ghana National Party, Samuel Ampofo; the National Second Vice Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Henry Asante; a member of the Third Force Movement, Augustina Cudjo; founder of the People’s Democratic Movement, Zaya Yeebo; Leader of the Ghana Green Party, Rev. Stephen Ayensu, and Kwasi Addai Odike, Union Government.