President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that his government is looking at using the same developmental template the Chinese government has used over the years.
He said the model has proven to be developmental and prosperous.
President Akufo-Addo said Ghana was inspired by the Chinese model and was trying to replicate same through its industrialization policy of “One district One factory”, and an increase in agricultural productivity through the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs pragramme.
“We believe that the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, proposed by President Xi Jinping, will further intensify Chinese commitment to Africa’s development. Last night’s message from President Xi, in his opening statement at this year’s summit, involving the allocation of a comprehensive package of support for Africa’s development, including a $60 billion fund, is a powerful reinforcement of that commitment.”
Nana Addo said this at a summit between China and African countries.
He congratulated President Xi Jinping for holding the summit and noted that both China and Africa recognised that a win-win situation for their respective peoples would be the desired outcome.
President Akufo-Addo explained that the resolve of his government was to build a value-added, industrialized economy with a modernised agriculture, trading in the global marketplace on the basis of products produced, and chart its own self-reliant, independent path within the world economic order.
“We believe that effective co-operation with China will help us attain this goal. Indeed, we want our relations with China to be characterised by an increase in trade and investment co-operation, and not by the export and import of raw materials,” he said.