Togbe Afede XIV, the paramount chief of the Asogli Traditional Area, is alarmed by the lack of sincere support given to business people and the private sector in the nation.
He claims that in order to lessen the burden on the government, reduce the national debt, and minimize public sector corruption, successive governments have not been able to provide the conditions for everyone to participate in the development process.
Togbe Afede claimed in a piece spotted by GhanaWeb Business that the few programs aimed at assisting the private sector have become politicized over time.
“Tax waivers, duty exemptions and other incentives have become a privilege reserved for loyal party supporters instead of being targeted at sectors of the economy that need support to become globally competitive,” he stressed.
He also noted that great ideas and initiatives by entrepreneurs and the private sector have not been supported merely due to selfish or political reasons.
“Crony capitalism has spelt doom for the genuine entrepreneurs, ensuring the happiness of a few, and discontent, misery and suffering of the majority,” he wrote.
Touching on some government initiatives under the governing New Patriotic Party such as NABCO, Togbe Afede XIV described ‘as poorly planned’ with no real chance of providing sustainable jobs for the youth.
“Poorly planned initiatives like NABCO have been the preferred short-term political reaction to the unemployment problem. But these, we all know, do not create real jobs, and thus cannot provide sustainable solutions to the youth unemployment problem,” he noted.