Opinion: The trinitarian blessings of President Akufo-Addo

Approximately two years into his second term, Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo has made significant advancement on his manifesto pledges to address corruption, improve public service delivery, and reshape the market.

The country is ranked as the easiest to do business in West Africa by the World Bank. Ghana is also a “superb country” according to the IMF. The President deserves praise for this study’s concise summary of Ghana’s few achievements.

It shows appreciation for President Akuffo Addo’s achievements in advancing the economy, education, and digitalization of public administration and is known as the TRINITARIAN BLESSINGS OF PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO.

Ghana’s Economy

Despite the shaky economy that the Mahama administration passed over, the Akuffo Addo government has achieved considerable progress and economic recovery measures for Ghana. As soon as the Akuffo Addo government took power, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) observed that Ghana was grappling with a multitude of socioeconomic issues, notably unstable macroeconomic circumstances and increasing unemployment rates, especially among youth.

Along with decreasing healthcare services, failing public sector machinery as a result of ineffective incentive structures and a lack of accountability, expanding income and regional disparities. Among other things, the private and agricultural sectors were in decline (GoG, 2017).

More than 1.2 million Ghanaians are unemployed, according to the most recent Ghana Labour Force Survey data, which was issued in 2016; as being such, under the NDC.

Alan, (2017) in his study intimates, Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth decreased from more than 8% in 2012 to less than 4% in 2016, the country’s least effective growth in more than 20 years, during the Mahama (NDC) government.

The NDC administration also left a $1.6 billion hole in the budget, which Minister Ofori-Atta discovered. This caused Ghanaian dollar bonds to plunge and increased pressure on the NPP government’s financial problems.

In addition to the continuing high unemployment rate, the government came much under more and more criticism from the IMF, attributable to the budgetary tightening policies adopted by the Mahama administration as part of a $1 billion rescue agreement inked in 2015.

The previous administration’s 2016 IMF objectives were all missed, according to President Akufo-Addo, who made the disclosure on February 21. In fact, despite the Mahama administration’s vows to control spending, Ghana was unable to reduce its budget deficit to below 5.3%, as required by the IMF (World Bank, 2022).

The World Bank forecasted, a recovery will mean the Ghana must attain 7.5 percent growth for the Ghanaian economy in 2021. It is third-highest growth rate forecast in sub-Saharan Africa for 2017, warning that it won’t be simple to fulfil that forecast.

However, by addressing the problems, Akuffo Addo demonstrates his leadership for the country. In the State of the Nation Address, he declares, I am resolved to strive to ensure that the economy is developed and that the future of our young men and women is secured.

The Akuffo Addo administration, in office since January 2017, has a significant focus on macroeconomic stability and growth that is driven by the private sector. With responsible management of their nations’ resources and skills, African leaders can create economies that are independent of “charity or handouts,” according to President Nana Akufo-vision Addo’s of “Africa Beyond Aid.”

The key achievement include reduction in inflation. Inflation declined from 15.6% at the end of 2016 to 10.3% as of January 2018, while the economy under President Akuffo Addo grew from 3.6% in 2016 to 7.9% in 2017. It also experienced a remarkable turnaround from a growth rate of -0.5% in 2016 to 17.7% in 2017.

Moreover, interest rates are falling, the cedi is stabilizing, and the budget deficit has decreased from 9.3% of GDP in 2016 to 5.6% of GDP in 2017, with a prediction of 4.5% for 2018, according to the report. The consolidation of the economy’s finances has begun, and budgetary discipline has returned.

The World Band commends, the NPP administration, that, the government has been successful in achieving its fiscal deficit goal for the first time since 2006. The accomplishment is amazing – validated by the World Bank.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic, the March 2020 shutdown, and a dramatic decrease in commodity exports, according to the World Bank, stopped Ghana’s strong development (7% in 2017–19), which resulted in an overall GDP as low as 0.4%.

Households were significantly impacted by the economic recession. According to estimates, the poverty rate grew slightly from 25% in 2019 to 25.5% in 2020. Notwithstanding this, Ghana’s economy has successfully recovered from the downturn caused by COVID-19.

Growth is anticipated to have reached 4.1% in 2021, becoming broadly based in 2022, and increasing to 5.5% in 2022. According to preliminary budgetary figures for the first half of 2021, the government may need to reduce spending to make up for decreased revenue. 5.1% of GDP was the total fiscal deficit.

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) managing director, Kristalina Georgieva has highlighted that foreign shocks rather than domestic factors are to blame for Ghana’s present economic woes (Communication Bureau, 2012).

Since GDP has still not been restored to pre-epidemic levels, Ghana’s economy is still experiencing the consequences of the pandemic, which might be made worse by the conflict in Ukraine. The events are expected to boost inflationary pressures in Ghana by increasing the cost of a number of essential goods, including food, gasoline, fertiliser, and metals used in manufacturing (World Bank, 2022).

Notwithstanding, over the medium term, it is anticipated that Ghana’s economy will continue to be generally robust thanks to high export prices and robust domestic demand.

Growth is anticipated to average 5.3% over 2022 and reach 5.5% in 2022. Broad-based growth is anticipated, with agriculture, services, and a comparatively stronger industry sector driving it.

Akuffo Addo is still working tirelessly to implement his bold plan for a healthy economy. He has managed to receives a lot of backing from strong organisations and advanced nations.

His recent visit to the Netherlands is meant to mobilize about $25 billion in investments by 2025 for climate adaptation in food security, resilient infrastructure, adaptation jobs, and climate finance, Second, according to Kristalina Georgieva, a contract between Ghana and the IMF should be agreed upon and completed before the year, 2022 is through.

These actions are commendable. They aspire to revive our public finances, which have sustained significant injuries as a result, in the short term, while Ghana remains focused on the medium-to long-term structural changes that are indispensable to our mission of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid, which entails developing a resilient, strong Ghanaian economy.

Ghana is being significantly damaged by the recent global crises, but Akuffo Addo’s tenacious efforts cannot be disregarded because the world recognises the Ghanaian president good policies and achievements.

SDG-4-Education: Goal 4. promoting opportunities for all individuals to partake in quality, lifelong learning, and being inclusive and equitable.

The educational system in Ghana is beset by several issues. These include, among others, obstacles to stability, student enrolment, teaching quality, and educational infrastructure. There are major barriers to participation and access in the educational system.

For instance, there are insufficient educated and competent teachers available, which leads to extremely large class sizes, low enrolment of girls, low quality in terms of student learning accomplishments, and a lack of resources for teaching and learning (Adu-Agyem & Osei-Poku, 2012). The disturbing trend of more youngsters not receiving an education was made worse.

The most crucial function of our educational system is to prepare students for better lives as citizens and professionals, which depends on their capacity to acquire the necessary skills to land well-paying, respected job opportunities, yet there are none.

The Akuffo Addo administration put out a multitude of initiatives to lessen the effects of these crises. A notable step implemented by the NPP is that it has “redefined free basic education to encompass Senior High School (SHS), including vocational, agricultural, and technical schools, and made it available for free on a universal basis to all Ghanaians.”

Moreover, extra money has been allocated to the educational division. Over a billion dollars higher than the GHc 9.08 billion spent on education in 2016, Akuffo Addo encouraged the investment of GHc 10.5 billion.

This investment has grown over time, totaling GHc 12.7 billion in 2018, GHc 13.3 billion in 2019, GHc 14.7 billion in 2020, and GHc 15.6 billion in 2021, according to expectations (Armah, 2021).

The Ghana Education Trust Support was given permission to securitize a USD 1.5 billion facility to fund an obvious boost in the country’s educational infrastructure in order to address this infrastructural problem (GhanaWeb, 2018). In 2017, the government started 874 projects across all educational levels.

518 of these have been finished, and funding has been allocated in the 2021 budget to continue the abandoned projects. Between the 2017–18 and 2018–19 academic years alone, 60 extra senior high schools were added to the nationwide total, bringing the total to 690.

The government has begun constructing 20 Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) facilities around the nation with money from the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), and these facilities are now in various stages of development (Peacefmonline.com, 2021).

The University of Environment and Sustainable Development’s first phase of construction is complete, and the university’s first cohort of students has already enrolled (Armah, 2021).

The National Teacher Standards, National Teacher Education Curriculum Framework, and a new 4-year teacher education curriculum at Colleges of Education, as well as the implementation of a teacher licensing regime and revisions to the way teachers are assessed and promoted, have accelerated educational curriculum reforms, teacher professional development, and learning.

1,823 teachers from 303 grade schools have benefited from Mirific training and received theoretical skills in teaching, utilizing technology in order to enhance teaching and learning. To evaluate the implementation of the new school curriculum, the government has also hired 290 school improvement and support officers (formerly known as circuit supervisors). Naturally, the restoration of trainee allowances at our schools of education is motivating more of our best and brightest to enter the field.

The Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), a five-year initiative to improve the calibre and effectiveness of 10,000 mediocre basic schools and 28 special schools, was introduced by the Akuffo Addo administration in 2020.

Additionally, it will provide teaching and learning materials and provide in-service education to improve the skills of all teachers in the targeted schools.

The government’s policy plans in the education sector appear to be within line with the objectives stated in the 2018–30 Education Strategic Plan (ESP). The ESP seeks to expand equity and access while also develop more efficient, relevance, efficiency, and sustainability.

These are interrelated to the overarching national goals for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that the United Nations affirmed in 2015.

At all grades of education, there has been a significant increase in Ghanaian children’s access, retention, and completion (Addy, 2013). 4,393,061 students attended elementary school during the 2016–17 academic year. In the 2018–19 academic year, this number increased dramatically to 4,511,268 (Armah, 2021).

The COVID-19 year was an unpleasant interruption that may have caused a less robust government to crumble. While the government will inevitably focus on boosting economic growth and resolving the fundamentals, it has still expressed in the budget its commitment to further improvements in the industry.

Armah (2021) intimates, GH1.97 billion will be spent on the Free SHS initiative. For an estimated 416,066 students from public junior high schools who have registered, the government intends to pay their registration costs. Government spending on these and other initiatives to lighten parents’ loads and keep kids in school would total around GHc200 million.

To its honour, the Akufo-Addo government has proven the will and ability to fulfil its pledges to the education sector. It will need to prove that it can accomplish more with less after the tragedy of Covid-19, when money is scarce, and the economy is precariously balanced.

To accomplish the ambitious policy goals, the government will need to apply its money in a more inventive manner. But if the first term is any indication, we can be sure that the administration will carry out the goals for education set forth in the budget.

Digitalisation of Public Services

Digitalisation is the method of transforming text, images, or audio into a format that a computer can comprehend. It is the core thought process behind the declaration that we now live in a worldwide village.

The practice of digitalizing public administration is a component of a plan that seeks to increase consumer and corporate access to products and services across Europe while also using the potential of ICTs to create an enabling environment, sustainability, economic growth, and advancement.

However, Ghana started its digital governance plan in 2005, and as a result, Ghana is now one of the African nations with the highest economic growth rates and is known for its ground-breaking digital platforms connecting the state with its inhabitants.

Digitalization is vital due to issues that can be avoided, such as data gathering difficulties, bureaucracy, and the lengthy time required for registrations (such as with the DVLA).

The government through the digital technology is boosting the growth and to transform the Ghanaian economy and, in turn, help guarantee that every Ghanaian benefits to the fullest extent possible from this procedure.

Among the Policies of Akuffo Addo in enhancing Digitalisation include the following:

1. National Identification– The Ghana card, it is the main form of identification required to accessibility in the nation. This enables collaboration between governmental entities and helps citizens greatly.
2. National Broadband Infrastructure development programme for the ICT Sector – It is an ongoing project that is especially committed to bringing complete connection to the nation’s underserved and poorly served neighborhoods.
3. The Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project, – Enable national roaming while also delivering phone and internet connection to millions of rural residents. It is now being implemented, and work has officially started on 2,016 solar-powered cell towers around the nation.
4. Common Monitoring Platform (CMP), – As a feature of openness and accountability to foster cooperation with the government and industry participants, a system has been built to track communication traffic and give real-time validation of operations in the telecom sector.
5. E-government services – [paperless port operations, e-procurement, e-parliament, e-justice, e-registrar, and the use of the smart workplace virtual office application, amongst other initiatives] – these improves public service delivery
6. gov.gh platform-an electronic payment system for all products and services provided by the government. Additionally, it enhances the security of transactions in the public sector and encourages effectiveness and openness in tax collection.
7. E-levy – By offering an all-inclusive taxation system, you can shift the focus away from the old system, which required fewer than 10% of the population to pay taxes, and toward financial inclusion.
8. Mobile money interoperability platform – This encourages smooth currency movement between the multiple networks. Ghana is the initial nation in Africa to use a worldwide QR Code, which could also accommodate transactions from a variety of financing sources, such as digital wallets, cards, or bank accounts, on every channel, in order to satisfy the demands of both banked and unbanked clients.

Scholars assert, Ghana’s digital governance measures have significantly assisted in reducing corruption, improving efficiency, and increasing public e-participation in administration. This was the primary finding.

By executing the National Identification project, the National Digital Property Addressing System’s first phase has indeed been finished. Geolocation and the issue of postal codes will be supported by this. Additionally, it offers a nationwide database (Communications Bureau, 2022).

The World Bank has also lent support to the Akuffo Addo administration. In April, the World Bank granted $200 million to speed up Ghana’s ambition for digitalization for good opportunities.

The e-Transform Ghana initiative is involved in this. This recently signed Ghana Digital Acceleration Project is assisting in a supervisory transition to foster an environment that is favourable for digitalization and innovative thinking, optimize government administration and the provision of public services, and encourage smallholder participation in data-driven digital agricultural production (World Bank, 2022).

One of Ghana’s most successful industries, digital expanded by an estimated 19 percent annually from 2014 and 2020. Today, Ghana is one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s innovative companies (ibid).

Pierre Laporte, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone WD, assert same, that increasing digital access and implementation, improving digital public service delivery, and encouraging digitalized advancement are crucial for Ghana’s digitalization, which will assist in fostering a strong post-COVID-19 restoration.

In brief His Excellency Akuffo Addo is one of the few presidents that have escape the traditional tag that Africans have good policies but poor implementation.

His administration is commended for good policies for which the global world admires and that nations also admires the effective implementation of these policies.

We believe much more will be achieve by the President in the remaining years ahead. And for now, Ghana celebrate his achievement as a good father.

The writer is Palgrave Boakye Danquah, government’s spokesperson on governance and security

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