Features
Bawumia and Ghana economy
Before the recent lecture on the economy of Ghana Dr Bawumia delivered, some people, including senior lecturers and professors, had expressed various views (positively and negatively) on the state of country’s economy.
Since the lecture given by the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, various opinions have been expressed on his presentation, some of them praising him for a good work done while others, as usual, saw nothing good about what he said or the issues discussed on that day.
PUBLIC REACTIONS
The reaction of the general public, however, showed that in spite of the difficulties the country faced, the Vice President and Head of Ghana’s economic team did well and dealt with all the relevant issues the country is facing.
He began by stating that he was going to deal with the state of the economy, pointing out that there were problems or difficulties but measures had been put in place to ensure that the economy of Ghana was cushioned soundly from collapse.
In talking about the state of the economy, Dr. Bawumia referred to the economic problems Ghana as a country faced prior to the swearing-in of President Akufo-Addo. He went on to explain that in spite of the difficulties, measures were in place to ensure reduction in inflation, elimination of a number of taxes, developing the economy along internally induced growth, among others.
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
The economy of Ghana today faces a number of problems including rising prices of goods and services. The rising prices have come about because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected every part of the world. Indeed, goods cannot be easily transported from different parts of the world to other places where they are needed thereby bringing about shortages in some cases.
Generally, the supply of goods and services have been in short supply but even in situations where such goods and services are not in short supply, it can be seen that the cost of transportation alone has shot up tremendously.
COST PUSH AND DEMAMD PULL INFLATION
This high cost of transportation accounts for rising prices, that is, cost push inflation. In cost push inflation, rising prices of transportation when added to the prices of goods and services further push up prices.
Similarly, in situations where the supply of goods and services are less than expected or fall below general demand, what happens is that demand exceeds supply and pushes up prices. This comes under what is known as “demand pull inflation.”
Both demand pull and cost push inflation are responsible for the rising prices in the country. From this observation, one can say that the unfavourable economic situation in the country, in the form of rising prices, is not the making of the Akufo-Addo administration. The situation has come about because of factors beyond the reach of all Ghanaians.
All countries in the world are going through difficult economic times so this is the period for all analysts to be objective and fair in their discussion of issues in Ghana today. We should be very grateful that the economic management style of the government has not thrown things overboard but rather made it possible for the people of Ghana to go about their normal duties, even in the midst of some difficulties.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Until the world, including Ghana, was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, things were moving on smoothly in Ghana. Inflation, which was initially at 15.4 per cent or thereabout was reduced to about seven per cent. Similarly, agricultural output also increased tremendously from negative levels to appreciable levels even though there was still room for improvement.
With the arrival of COVID-19,everything was thrown overboard and countries that did not have resilient economies fell onto great trouble and experienced food shortages. Fortunately, due to Ghana’s laudable programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs), the country became self-sufficient and even exported food items to neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Côte d’ivoire among other countries. Had it not been for this programme, things would’ve been worse than we see today.
We have food stuffs all over the country but there is room for improvement in the sense that we need to construct more roads to link up with communities that are producing food for the country. Without this, not much can be achieved in terms of food production. A network of good roads is, therefore, needed in all parts of the country to enhance agricultural production.
At the same time, we need to regulate the supply and export of our food stuffs to neighbouring countries so that Ghanaians will also not run out of food supplies. Fortunately, the Government of Ghana had realised this and banned the export of maize and soya to neighbouring countries until the situation improves in Ghana. It is equally important to note that the economic problems experienced in the world today have come about because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Many finished products come from that part of the world. The products are fertilisers and other important products needed in the agricultural sector.
ADVERSE CONFLICT
The conflict has, therefore, contributed adversely to other parts of the world including Ghana.
We are happy that the economy of Ghana is able to support itself today and is far from collapse.
With the pandemic moving away, it is strongly believed that all the economic programmes and measures put in place would begin to yield results needed and make the economy a strong one. This means that there will be reduced inflation and more income can be generated from various sectors of the economy to finance its expenditure. Similarly, we can also reduce the rate of exchange with other foreign currencies to make the economy a strong one. Individuals should have confidence in the economy of Ghana and believe in what was presented by Dr. Bawumia
From all indications, the measures taken by Ghana are good and that is why the developed countries of the world have expressed confidence in the economy of Ghana.
DIGITALISATION
Digitalisation is good if for nothing at all, it helps to eradicate corruption and make it easy for goods and services to be accessed without difficulty. For this reason, digitisation coupled with the relevant economic policies will go a long way to enhance rapid growth in all parts of the country so that the ultimate result will be improved upon in the interest of everyone.
Ghana is a great nation so we all need to work hard and support the government to make it possible for economic activities to flourish and improve upon the welfare of everyone in this noble country.
Contact email/whatsApp address of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
Today, I continue with my narration of personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, with a focus on Mr Joseph Osei Amoah.
Mr Amoah is one of the senior members of the Ghanaian community in Finland and a top member of the Ghana Union Finland, an association of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He is an active and a well-respected person in the Ghanaian community in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah moved to Finland in the mid-1990s, and he has lived in Helsinki all this time.
Accomplishments and honours
It is important to recount accomplishments as part of the success stories of the personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
Mr Amoah holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the University of Helsinki. At the time he came to Finland in 1994, he had majored in Economics at the Bachelor’s level at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sometimes affectionately called “Chairman” in the Ghanaian migrant community, Mr Osei is a former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) branch in Finland, assuming office around 2015, a few months after the branch was formed, until 2019 when he did not run again for the elections. He helped to bring vibrancy into the NPP Finland branch.
Religious life
Mr Amoah is a prominent member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland. In spite of his busy working life and other responsibilities, he remains a committed member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
He plays a key leadership role in the church, which is attended by many Ghanaian migrants and other African migrants, Finns, and those of other nationalities.
His position in Asanteman Finland
Mr Osei Amoah is an outstanding member of the Asanteman Finland, where he is the Gyasehene, a prominent position as a sub-chief in the Asante (and Akan) royal hierarchy, in the functioning of the traditional authority systemgenerally in Ghana.
The Asanteman Finland is an association formed purposely with the aim of supporting each other as well as to ensure unity among its members and others outside of the group.
One of its top priorities of Asanteman Finland is to display the Asante culture in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah finds this as very important since by upholding the traditional culture and heritage, the association enables its members and especially the young ones to get the chance to learn and appreciate Asante and Ghanaian cultural values. They do this through rites such as marriage, the naming ceremony, and death and funeral rites, which makes the people to learn more of their provenance and not forget their origins.
“My point is that, by displaying the traditional heritage it helps people to learn more about their provenance. For, I think it will be embarrassing to go home and see that even the young ones have much knowledge about how to perform certain rites whilst those of us in the diaspora may be deficient in understanding those practices”, he argued. It is also very important for the young ones who are born in Finland to learn what the culture of their original society is, he continued.
The Finnish educational system
Mr Osei has a lot to say about the Finnish educational system, which he sees as very good. “When we came to Finland, education was free. There were library books and manuscripts readily available in the library, and one could print or make as many photocopies as possible for your studies. There was more flexibility. One could read books and write exams on them for the necessary grades in order to complete your studies”. In his opinion, Ghana could learn much from the Finnish system, which is one of the best in the world.
He said the only initial challenge he found in Finland was how to master the Finnish language, without which it was difficult to get a job befitting one’s status after the studies. But things have changed today and there are many English courses so it is easy to study and get a job that matches your studies, especially in the area of ICT, he said.
His role in the Ghanaian community
Mr Osei Amoah has been very active in the Ghanaian community, as I have indicated earlier. He is still very active in the Ghana Union Finland, and has played a leadership in many functions organised by the Union, as a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
Mr Amoah has been a counsellor and mentor who has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths and has also been part in settling various kinds of conflicts between opposing parties or persons. In conclusion, I would say Mr Osei Amoah has succeeded in embossing his name in the golden pages of visionary Ghanaians in both Sweden and Finland.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
