create jobs and prosperity for all Ghanaians, President Nana Akufo-Addo has said.

President Akufo-Addo said this will be done through the introduction of measures which will empower the private sector.

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, when he delivered a speech on the theme “Making Gender and the Youth the Private Sector’s business”, at the opening of the 2017 European Development Days Conference.

“We have introduced measures to stimulate the private sector, through the introduction of a monetary policy that will stabilize the currency and reduce significantly the cost of borrowing, in addition to a raft of tax cuts to bring relief to and encourage businesses.”

These interventions are expected to shift the focus of Ghana’s economy from taxation to production “and, hopefully, will make Ghanaian businesses very competitive in West Africa, Africa and beyond,” the President said.

He further stressed the importance of ensuring the competitiveness of Ghanaian enterprises in agricultural and manufacturing sectors which “will determine our capacity to create wealth for our youth and women, and wealth in our society.”

“That is the only way we can build a Ghana beyond aid, that is, freeing our people from a mindset of dependence, aid, charity and handouts, and building a self-reliant economy which will mobilize the immense resources of Ghana, material and human, with women and youth in the forefront, to resolve Ghana’s problems.”

“Whilst we empower the private sector to create jobs and wealth, my government, recognizing the benefits of the digital revolution, has instituted measures to keep the youth in touch with global trends, and also equip them with the skills, which, together with their sense of enterprise and innovation, will be necessary in Ghana’s economic transformation. That is the focus of my government.”