Ex-NPP executive calls for improved education on gov’t policies

A former Mfantseman West Vice-Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Felix Antwi, has called on the leadership of party to engage in more education and sensitisation on policies to help break the eight-year governance cycle in the country

The intensified public education and sensitisation on the policies of the government, according to him, will go a long way to renew confidence in the party and secure a one-touch win in the 2024 general elections.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Statesman in Accra, Mr Antwi cited some of the beneficial policies that require more public enlightenment.

Agyapa

According to him, the NPP government should educate the citizenry more on the Agyapa deal.

Mr Antwi advised the party to explain the deal and its main purpose of providing funds for the development of the country to Ghanaians, saying it is a good idea.

He noted that the Agyapa will provide gold mining companies the opportunity to develop new mining projects in exchange for royalties or revenue once the mines start producing gold.

“The transaction will create and launch Africa’s first gold royalty company and showcase Ghana as the premier destination for gold assets and resource mining, whilst raising non debt funding for capital investment,” he added.

This, he noted, is a sure way to attract investment into the sector, increase exploration activity, provide financing to owners of mining concessions looking for equity type of financing to develop their mines, and bring them to production as well as ensure rural development.

E-Levy

Similarly, he expressed worry about the minimal level of education and awareness creation on the E-levy, which has generated numerous controversies in the country.

He said all the information the public was receiving constituted ‘political information’ because “we are not having the real economic information that will help educate the public.”

He urged the government to undertake concentrated education on the proposed E- Levy policy because Ghanaians need education on it, adding that “the positive results Government was trying to achieve was misunderstood by the public”.

He added that the E-levy is a smart move by the government to raise revenue to propel Ghana’s development.

Others

Mr Antwi also indicated that the One-District One-Factory projects require more sensitisation since they are key components of the industrial transformation agenda of the government.

“It will do the government a great deal of good if it provides a day-to-day documentary of the over 100 factories established so far on TV,” he suggested.

He pointed out that the goal is to construct 278 companies across all districts in the country to create thousands of jobs for the youth.

Internal elections

Turning to the impending internal elections of the governing NPP, Mr Antwi said competition within the party cannot be avoided but “it should help the party and not generate any internal wrangling so we can break the eight”.

He urged the party members to tell the good story of the government at every opportunity they get to let the good policies of the government be known.

He said allowing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to come back to power would lead to the collapse of all social intervention policies initiated by the government.

However, he reckoned that it would require discipline and a united front among party members to help retain power and continue with the good works of the party.

“All government appointees and Members of Parliament (MPs) should close the gap between them and the electorate as part of the strategies of breaking the eight,” he entreated.