Given the continuing cycle of poverty, government has been urged to intentionally target its policies and programmes to deprived areas being most affected.
Researchers from the Department of Economics at the University of Ghana and the African School of Economics noted that the implementation of social programmes in the country must focus on building the resilience of vulnerable households to shocks.
They added that poverty reduction policy and implementation need to be intentional about providing more equal access to productive potential and opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in terms of education and employment. Also, for sustained benefits, social spending by the government must maintain the right balance between ensuring fiscal sustainability and reaching the ‘left behind’.
The researchers including Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, UG, Bernardin Senadza, Lecturer at the African School of Economics, Benin, Dr. Dede Gafa, and Researcher at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, United Kingdom, Louis Hodey made these remarks at a workshop held in Accra on the topic: “Poverty dynamics in Ghana”.
They explained that: “Existing flagship programmes, for instance, the Planting for Food and Jobs, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, and others, should be complemented by multifaceted and sustainable rural development and infrastructure development programmes, particularly in northern Ghana.”
Also, “pro-poor policies and programmes that seek to ensure equal access to educational and employment opportunities in Ghana (such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy) should be devised or revised to better target the most vulnerable groups. These groups include poor people residing in rural locations and northern Ghana, especially persons from disadvantaged backgrounds, the unemployed, and those in vulnerable employment”.
They recommended these based on their research dubbed ‘Escaped or Trapped? The Untold Story of Ghana’s Poverty Reduction’ where they analysed the poverty trends from 2006 to 2019
Promoting small-scale farming
They further urged government to implement programmes to foster productivity growth in small-scale farming and small and medium non-farm enterprises, particularly in rural areas and northern Ghana.
Efforts targeted at productivity growth in the agriculture and informal sectors they said need to be accompanied by balanced investments that bridge the existing infrastructure gaps between northern and southern Ghana and between rural and urban dwellings without jeopardising the needs of key economic sectors.
Business environment
Government was also admonished to improve the business environment by pursuing effective macroeconomic management and appropriate regulatory systems that are conducive to private investments, trade, business growth, and job creation.
Participants included representatives of the World Bank, the Ghana Statistical Service, the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), and the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), among others.
