Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called on the government to urgently refocus its economic strategy toward empowering the private sector, describing it as the most sustainable path to addressing Ghana’s growing unemployment challenge.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Third Meeting of Parliament, the Effutu MP expressed concern that the current administration’s policies had failed to translate into meaningful job opportunities for citizens, despite claims of economic stability.
According to him, inflationary control alone does not constitute real economic progress if it is not accompanied by tangible improvements in livelihoods and employment creation.
“We cannot say that inflation has helped to stabilise prices,” he said. “If you monitor the opportunities for jobs, we are really getting nothing.”
Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that Ghana’s economic trajectory appeared to have sidelined the private sector, which traditionally drives innovation, productivity, and large-scale job creation. He described this neglect as a major policy misstep with long-term implications for youth employment and national development.
He particularly criticised the government for abandoning the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative—one of the most ambitious industrialisation programmes under the previous administration—which he said provided the framework for private sector expansion and localised employment generation.
“They came to cancel the 1D1F. They say they don’t need it,” he lamented. “But the 1D1F was a major boost for the private sector.”
The Minority Leader framed the issue within Ghana’s broader ideological divide, contrasting the NPP’s centre-right, private sector-driven philosophy with what he described as the current government’s centre-left, state-heavy approach, which, in his view, has not yielded results.
“We in the NPP believe in the private market. The private sector creates opportunities for industries to grow and employ more,” he said. “But they are social democrats; we don’t see any serious plan for private sector development.”
He urged the government to adopt a more pragmatic and business-friendly policy framework, including tax incentives, access to credit, and a reduction in bureaucratic bottlenecks that discourage private investment.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin further warned that persistent joblessness, especially among the youth, could erode public confidence in the economy and fuel social unrest if not addressed swiftly.
“What the people need is work—not statistics. We must build an economy that rewards enterprise and innovation,” he stressed.
