Agricultural Economist and Economic Policy Expert, Peter Boamah Otokunor, has emphasized the need for an agriculture-driven economy to ensure sustainable growth.
Speaking on the state of Ghana's economy on the keypoints with Alfred Ocansey, Otokunor critiqued successive government's approach to economic development, arguing that merely citing GDP growth figures does not reflect the true impact on ordinary citizens. "When you want to design your economic policy to respond to the needs of the people, you look at where it matters most, where it affects the people most," he stated on March 1.
He highlighted that subsectors such as crops, cocoa, livestock, fishing, and manufacturing significantly contribute to employment and should be prioritized in economic planning.
Otokunor criticized the previous government's spending habits, particularly in an election year, stating that the economic growth reported does not necessarily translate into improved living standards. "If you say the economy grew by 6.3% GDP, and so you have done well, you would be performing an exercise of disingenuity because that does not really tell the story," he asserted.
