Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has encouraged Ghanaians to work with the government to address the country’s challenges.
A group of Ghanaians who are dissatisfied with the country’s economic problems have taken to social media to air their grievances.
Using the hashtag #FixTheCountry on social media, supporters of the campaign shared their dissatisfaction with successive governments’ inability to increase Ghanaians’ living standards.
The campaigners also generally decried the country’s insufficient or non-existent services, deplorable facilities, bad sanitary conditions, an accommodation shortage followed by exorbitant rent, a general high cost of living, and high rate of unemployment with its attendant issues.
However, in detailing the government’s response to the movement, Mr. Ofori-Atta stated that Ghanaians would band together to repair the region.
“In the coming days, we will work quickly to resolve the concerns posed by #FixTheCountry. First, I am collaborating with the Minister of Water and Sanitation to provide potable water to places in desperate need as soon as possible. Second, I am collaborating with the Ministers of Roads and Highways, Transport, and the Interior to reduce traffic jams on major highways. Third, we are accelerating the introduction of the $200 million jobs and skills initiative as well as the structural growth program in order to greatly increase employment creation.”
“Fourth, beginning this month, we will implement over eight additional initiatives under the GhanaCARES Obatanpa program, including those in health, agriculture, trade, tourism, digitisation, science and technology, housing, and financial services. Fifth, by the end of July, we will have a new development bank with over $500 million in funding that will offer long-term whole finance to the private sector by commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions such as venture capital companies for SMEs, rather than retail financing as has been done in the past, to ensure financing to the youth. So let us grow together, create together, and #FIXTOGETHER.”
Since it began on Twitter about a week ago, the “#FixTheCountry” movement has been circulating online.
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It has now been more organized, with participants attempting to organize a protest on May 9.
The proposed protest, however, was stifled by the state after the Ghana Police Service obtained an injunction against it.
The court decided that the proposed rally should not take place until the ban on large demonstrations was removed.
The protest’s organizers have now filed a legal appeal to the injunction.
They also organized an online rally yesterday, May 9, 2021.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
