The Local Government Minister, Mr. Julius Debrah has given true meaning to the policy of ?domestication? propounded by the late Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and seems to have now been adopted by President Mahama in his renewed vigour in encouraging the use of made-in-Ghana goods to protect the local currency from perennial depreciation.
Speaking on the sideline of a media encounter over the week-end at Koforidua, the hardworking minister instructed all agencies under his ministry across the country henceforth not to use any foreign furniture but instead patronize local furniture.
By this fiat, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies are all going to patronize made-in-Ghana furniture. This singular move by the minister will provide employment to the teeming youth working in the local furniture industry and others will be attracted into it given the likely rise in demand of the product.
The pressure on the local currency will lessen as import of foreign furniture will drastically reduce.
At the media encounter itself, the Minister announced ambitious short to medium term measures targeted at addressing the myriad of challenges confronting critical sectors of the nation?s economy including unemployment.
The measures, according to the sector minister, Julius Debrah are based on four broad thematic pillars; Environment and Sanitation, Decentralization and Empowerment of Assemblies, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, and Social Housing.
According to Mr. Julius Debrah, the measures code named ?our life changers,? when implemented properly will lead to a positive change in the lives of the people economically and socially, adding ?Local Assemblies need to be empowered to act for further development because when we do so the people will be financially responsible?.
Outlining his ministry?s short to medium term agenda at the media encounter over the weekend at Capital View Hotel in Koforidua, the Local Government Minister said the measures are part of the government?s plans to cushion Ghanaians against present economic difficulties..
?Local Assemblies need to be empowered to act for further development because when we do so the people will be financially responsible,? he stated.
The event, which was attended by Deputy Ministers for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Nii Lantey Vanderpujie and Emmanuel Agyekum, as well as the Chief Director of the ministry, Mr. Don Dieu, afforded the Minister the opportunity to explain in detail the measures to the media.
Touching on the environment and sanitation, while calling for support from the media and general public to sustain the implementation of the measures, Mr Debrah, who was the National Democratic Congress? 2012 Parliamentary Candidate in the Suhum constituency stated that as part of the short term goals, the Ministry will increase public awareness on attitudinal change, separate and remove heaps of garbage across the country, fumigate public places and provide toilets for households.
?In the long term, the Ministry will pursue externally-funded projects such as: World Bank GAMA for the covering of open drains; US Exim Bank Conti for sanitation and dredging the Korle Lagoon; Netherlands WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Programme to provide 3 new landfill sites and clean water; and France SAWISTRA (Sanitation and Water in Small Towns and Rural Areas) which stalled years back. Other long term goals include waste to energy projects which will be implemented through public private partnerships,? he added.
Under Small and Micro Enterprise Development, the Minister outlined the Ministry?s agenda regarding economic activities such as toilet and water services, agriculture and horticulture, agro-processing and more.
He promised that people will be aided to own and provide services and jobs to their respective local communities, stating ?Key to the agenda is the recently announced ?Operation Own Your Business? programme which the Ministry is seeking to partner local financial institutions and assemblies to provide funding and capacity to small and micro businesses.?
The fourth strategic agenda, Social Housing; he said features the Tamale model housing programme which is enabling people to use sandcrete to build their homes by providing access to funding from local institutions.
According to the Minister, if successful, the objective of the programme in the long term would be to replicate it in other MMDAs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Antwi Bosiako Sekyere, who was also present at the event, congratulated the Ministry for focusing on the four areas which he said will promote the needed development.
?With sanitation, the removal of garbage is lagging production and this is creating embarrassment. The media need to support the efforts to deal with this challenge by creating attitudinal change,? he noted.
