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29.03.2021 Feature Article

Look At This Address System!

Look At This Address System!
29.03.2021 LISTEN

Who we are and where we live is important as we grow! It is hard to grow up in Ghanaian culture and not offer a hand sometimes to others.

However, in business, let our nation learn that a Loan is not a gift!! Taking loans without a payback strategy depicts only naivete and not too smart! Oftentimes diverting loan funds to other uses becomes criminal and we in society should hold leaders responsible who borrow for Project A and spend the moneys on B.

A major Quotation for Business I received, and today and this is the Address: Plot DXX, Community 16, Lashibi-Tema

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What kind of nonsense address is this?

Some of us have written several articles and advocated for modernization and the reasons why a street addressing system is needed in Ghana as we emerged from colonial rule more than 64 year ago and want to do business with the rest of the world. I remember an article I wrote to Col. Acheampong in 1973 as a young Engineering graduate student from the Computer Sciences. And the office even replied.

In the modern world property ID and personal ID are formatted in line with existing systems of the world to make it easy for computerisation and to help minimize risk in any financial dealings.

The idea of using a unique computerized Ghanapost GPS was hailed by Ghana’s Vice President Dr. Bawumia a few years ago as brilliant. He said Ghana was leapfrogging the USA and Britian. Sure indeed! Where is the money??

The reasons why a nation like Singapore developed and totally lifted themselves out of poverty in just 35 years included their leadership’s

- ability to sense who their role models were,

- how to make their financial system in synch with the financial systems of the major economies of the world, and

- facilitate the entry barriers to business transactions between Singapore and the rest of the world, including

- complete office or Business parks set aside with all electricity, water, network and utilities, roads and other amenities for businesses.

They did all these to align with business models in America and Europe and Asia.

As we lament over our nation and our poor unfortunate leadership in the post 1960s era, there is a typical Ghanaian phrase we all remember: “Ɛha deɛ sei aa na yɛyɛ no oo!”. Translated, this states that “as for (Ghana) this is how its done”, implying to outsiders that if it does not suit you, you leave!

This model of building Ghana as part of the modern world has not worked in the last 50-60 years and it is time our leaders and our people demanded a choice in role models and alignment of technologies. Many Caribbean nations made that choice decades ago and are doing far better than Ghana.

It does not serve society and gets tiring dealing with a society where leadership refuses to adapt to change and development in line with the rest of the world.

Ask yourself:

- Would you loan your money to somebody who approaches you with such an address or

P.O. Box SKYY, Sakomono

Is that the model we should use? Would you leave precious goods with a man sitting by the roadside?

Would you really loan money to a man with no address?

Ghana is short of capital for Businesses and for Housing Construction and long term mortgage financing. And the major reason is that the Government is simply borrowing and spending excessively without careful thought and planning. Simple and common knowledge economics suggests that this creates a shortgage in capital at the Banks and hence high interest rates for consumers and businesses.

It would be nice if Ghanaians overseas and Africans in the Diaspora could have confidence and invest their moneys in Ghana. But again, would you invest in a nation where leaders refuse to adapt to modernisation and simple changes such as address systems, underground sewage systems, planned eradication of the mosquito and malaria, and still using PO Box 39, Plot D45, Accra!

Enjoy your day!

Dr. K. Danso - Mar.29, 2021

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