An Economic Blueprint for Ghana

Book excerpt: Ghana imports $100 million rice a year, mainly from Thailand and the US, which represents an unsustainable burden on the country's trade and exchange balances; and primary cause of devastation to the national economy. This book first provides an account of economic developments in the country since 1920, arguing that this is a period largely characterised by over-dependency on cocoa. It examines the extent to which past Ghanaian governments have succeeded in providing citizens with basic needs: food, water, clothing and shelter; and compares Ghana's economic performance with countries which were in comparable or worse economic positions in the 1960s and 1970s, such as Malaysia, whose economic growth and sustainability have surpassed the performance of Ghana. The author then presents a blueprint or 'Kufuor Plan' addressed directly to the President. The plan, designed for immediate implementation, calls for active, official encouragement for a nation-wide industrial policy based on small-scale agriculture, and which uses local resources to generate profits for the country.