TopAfrica's One-On-One Interview With Rasheed Pelpuo

Hon. Minister Rashid Pelpuo, Ghana´s Minister responsible for Private Sector Development was recently in Hamburg Germany as a Special Guest to the just ended Africa Day 'AfrikaTag' organized by IMIC e.V.

TopAfric had a brief interview with the minister on economic and political developments in Ghana.

The Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Wa central in the Upper West region of Ghana explained that his sector is in line with governmental structural adjustment to empower small and medium scale companies to address the current political and economic challenges facing the country.

Agriculture:

As to why the country is struggling to feed its people, he insisted aggressive policies are in place to intensify the awareness campaign on 'Eat what you Grow & Grow what you Eat'. Ghanaians are found of loving anything foreign. The country currently imports almost everything. The minister went on to say, rice farming is on the increase where as tractors are being allocated to farmers at affordable prices to boost food production.



Education:

There is urgent need to restructure the educational system and improve quality education.

The country has currently about 57 Universities. Most of the Vocational, Technical and Polytechnics have been converted into universities. As much as the country can boast of these tertiary institutions, the trend has its lapses.

The country currently lacks trained and qualified carpenters, electricians, masons just to mention a few. Since the country cannot provide adequate white collar jobs, there is the need to intensify dual system of education. Germany can be of much use in this area.



On the issue of Job creation, the Hon. Minister Rashid Pelpua agreed, though the Statistical Department has been collecting data for the country, a comprehensive data on university graduates and other bodies would do the country good. More also the tertiary institutions tailoring their courses to address future labor needs.

Size of Government: One area' we can't afford to look away' is the size of government, the minister admitted, though ministerial appointments has decreased from 80 plus to 70 plus and the position of special advisers cancelled. Ghana can do far more as Germany has just about 16 cabinet ministers. The minister who was very social at the gathering entreats the youth to take education seriously and also challenge the community leaders to find antidotes to the rampant school dropout, especially among Ghanaians in Germany.

Take advantage of the educational system, I understand it is almost free and for the poor absolute free.

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