President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the stark geographical imbalance in Ghana’s development.
Speaking at the launch of the Ghana Infrastructure Plan (GIP) on Wednesday, October 22, under the auspices of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), President Mahama announced plans to introduce targeted incentives for foreign investors who establish businesses in the northern regions.
The initiative, he said, aims to spur economic growth and reduce the widening development gap between the North and the South.
He lamented that while Accra continues to be the most urbanised and economically vibrant region, the northern parts of the country lag behind, fueling increasing migration to the capital.
“We must stop that geographical imbalance because every child finishing senior high school in the North, after a certain point in time, has no economic opportunity, no employment opportunities, and everybody is headed towards Accra,” President Mahama stated.
He further observed that nearly all industries and foreign direct investments are concentrated in Accra, rendering previous incentives to promote balanced development ineffective.
To tackle this challenge, the President proposed the establishment of an Agro-Industrial Park in the northern zone to attract and support foreign investors willing to set up there.
“We are suggesting an Agro-Industrial Park in the northern part of the country, where we redirect some of the foreign investors who want to invest and give them the necessary incentives to move up North and create jobs. This will ensure that young people can find opportunities there and not drift down to the South,” he explained.
Source: AdomOnline
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