Executive Director of the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Mr Kofi Asare appears to have welcomed the vision of the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on education.

Delivering his address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Wednesday February 7, Dr Bawumia stated among other things that free senior high school will continue under his government “and we will improve upon it.”

On job creation, he said he will continue the policy of industrialization (in areas such as agro-processing (cocoa, cashew sheanuts, etc.) salt, gold and lithium refining and manufacture of batteries, and automobile assembly and manufacture) and also empower the local business sector, especially startups and SMEs to drive investment and growth in Ghana, thus significantly boosting job creation.

“We must also protect local industry from smuggled imports that evade import duties,” he said.

“Special Economic Zones (Free Zones) will also be created in collaboration with the private sector at Ghana’s major border towns such as Aflao, Paga, Elubo, Sankasi and Tatale to enhance economic activity, increase exports, reduce smuggling and create jobs,”he added.

“Tema port will be fully automated and benchmarked to be as efficient as some of the best ports in the world like Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. Also, there will be a new policy of aligning the duties and charges at Tema port to the duties and charges at Lome Port. Basically, duties and charges at Tema Port should not be higher than Lome, our main competitor.

“This will also reduce smuggling and tax avoidance. Also for spare parts importers duties will be at a flat rate per container (20 or 40 foot),” Dr Bawumia stated.

Commenting on the address, Mr Kofi Asare said on Facebook that “Reading through, the end game of DMB’s education vision is: market-led human capital development for employability and entrepreneurship.”