The All People’s Congress (APC) has launched its 2024 campaign manifesto, ahead of the December general polls, with a call on Ghanaians to reject both the new Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The manifesto, which outlined the vision of the party, was hinged on seven major policy interventions, which the party claimed would transform Ghana and restore prosperity for all.
According to the flagbearer, Dr Hassan Ayariga, the APC would focus attention on nationalisation, industrialisation, globalisation, modernisation, domestication, commercialisation and digitalization.
These policy interventions, he said, would serve as the catalyst to build a sustainable economy that would transform Ghana and improve the livelihood of the people.
He indicated that it was high time Ghanaians prioritised modernisation in our forward march and retooled the country from its current system and move towards a more modernised and well-structured economy.
He explained that this would introduce more modernised ideas to change the status quo, in the production sector to increase productivity, enhance skills and employability to improve efficiency in all sectors of the economy.
He noted that one of the setbacks of the country’s development has been the lack of value addition to Ghana’s raw materials to generate enough foreign exchange to bolster the local economy.
To address the situation, he said his proposed commercialisation policy would ensure value addition to local raw materials and open the local economy up to the international community for trade and commerce.
He added that Ghanaians were gradually losing their sovereignty because all resources of the country have been given out to foreigners and, therefore, called for a sense of nationalisation to redress the situation.
Transforming Ghana and restoring hope
In order to transform the country and restore hope, the APC has proposed to protect national interest with focus on welfare of citizens’ ownership rights through the promotion of local content.
His policy, he indicated, would empower Ghanaian businesses through tax incentives, invest in Ghanaian history, culture and cherished Ghanaian values and norms to sustain national identity.
The APC further hinted to prioritise data collection infrastructure that would bring about digital transformation to enhance data driven policies for effective governance system and data management efficiency.
Industrial hub
On industry, APC’s policies focused on reviving all collapsed major factories in the country and continue to rebuild all abandoned government projects as part of its policy on job creation.
It further proposed to set up investment banks, increase infrastructure development in the areas of rail, road and ports to ensure effective transportation system.
The policy also talked about heavy investment in the energy sector to ensure power stability, reliability, affordability and sustainability to increase production of all sectors of the economy.
All inclusive governance system
The APC has proposed to abolish what it termed as “winner takes all political syndrome” to ensure inclusivity where appointments of people into every institution of government would be purely based on merit.
Food and agriculture
Dr Ayariga emphasised that an APC led government would modernise agriculture through the creation of efficient irrigation projects, provide subsidised farms inputs to increase all year round farming.
Additionally, the APC proposed to establish University of Agriculture in the Northern, Eastern and Western Regions of the country to train more youth in agriculture as parts of efforts to move away from traditional farming to a modernised one.
Scholarships, he said, would be instituted for the wards of farmers at the universities where these wards could acquire adequate knowledge on modern agricultural practices.
Price guarantee and price control system
In the manifesto, the APC proposed to regulate prices of general goods and services by rolling out price control system to ensure legal limit on prices of goods and services.
It would also ensure the availability of essential goods while public awareness would be created to ensure compliance and understanding whereas the black market would be regulated.
Energy and utilities
According to Dr Ayariga, his government would create a flat rate policy for all utilities service sector where for instance, single story buildings and standard buildings would have specified electricity bill to pay.
An inspectorate general office would be created to monitor and evaluate work performance of all public institutions and conduct proper audit to ensure compliance of public office holders.
Economy
The manifesto detailed that an APC government would drastically reduce the public debt stock, improve social welfare of the people and improve public financial management system.
The manifesto hinted of tight control on government expenditure, effect proper debt restructuring, reduce tax exemptions and curb wasteful expenditure and spending of public funds.
