Food Security and Public Safety Should Be Government's Top Priorities – Former Banker Advises
After his tour of the Ashanti Region, visiting very remote
villages, towns and cities, a former banker is urging government to consider
provision of food to the disenfranchised and vulnerable in our societies as
well as public safety and job creation avenues be seen as top of any
government’s agenda.
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| Alex Mould |
Luckily, the rains are in and farms are producing in abundance. Farming is of paramount importance, and will help to alleviate the food shortages. Priority measures to increase the production and transportation of food from farms to consumption centres need to be implemented.
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Food Security and Public Safety Should Be Government's Top Priorities
Covid-19 continues to have an adverse impact on the global
landscape.
Assets worldwide are depreciating and bankruptcies abound;
gold is a new means of storing wealth; stocks are at their lowest and almost
worthless - except those of companies that provide the basics. Tullow that once
was trading at over $20 is now trading at $0.20, yes 20 cents!
Bond prices have plummeted as the cost of money has risen
and various nations are seeking support in aid from the IMF and World Bank.
And here at home, Ghana’s debt is at its highest ever and
there are signs that if we could, we would borrow more; especially as the much
heralded and unconventional Agyapa deal heads to the morgue, stillborn.
Over the past few days I've toured the Ashanti region
visiting constituencies, towns, villages, branches and homes of the electorate
to promote the NDC's "People's
Manifesto".
This visit to the branches in the hinterland highlighted the
devastating impact of Covid-19 on the disenfranchised and vulnerable in our
communities.
Covid-19 has changed the rules of engagement. The hierarchy
of the importance of things has changed and people are now focused on the
basics-food, public security and earning a living. We are back to the
fundamentals - back to basics!
The mantra “Cash is King” prevails; yes cash is back, and
those that have cash (liquidity) are in charge and can control the markets.
Cash is King!!
In the villages, there is no money as there are no jobs.
Food is scarce hence people are resorting to CRIME.
The provision of food to the disenfranchised and vulnerable
in our societies, public safety, and job creation, should be at the top of any
government’s agenda.
Luckily, the rains are in and farms are producing in
abundance. Farming is of paramount
importance, and will help to alleviate the food shortages.
Priority measures to increase the production and
transportation of food from farms to consumption centres need to be
implemented.
The concept of adding value to food - for instance providing
silos for long term storage and processing for food preservation - is not
readily available or known to small scale farmers. Nor do they tend to use
irrigation and other modern agricultural methods and techniques.
As such, initiatives covering these should be provided at a
local level, particularly to small scale farmers.
This would have the added benefit of job creation, which
would then kick start consumer spending; thus acting as a multiplier to
increase the GDP of various local communities and the nation as a whole.
Signed
Alex Mould
(Former Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana
and Immediate past CEO of GNPC)
11/10/2020
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