The fourth in the series of Ghana MDGs Reports captured Ghana’s progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as at 2008. The Report analyses the goals and the extent to which they could be reached by 2015. At the time of preparing the report, the number of MDG targets and indicators had increased to 21 and 60 respectively. However, Ghana adopted selected indicators and targets for tracking on the basis of their relevance to Ghana’s development objectives and availability of adequate data. Data presented in the report largely ended in 2008. However, where available, data for 2009 and 2001 were included.
Ghana mainstreamed the MDGs into the country’s successive medium term national development policy framework, the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS I), 2003 – 2005, and the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II), 2006 - 2009. The third phase called GPRS III covering 2010 - 2013 is being implemented. While the GPRS I focused on the macroeconomic stability, production and gainful employment, human resource development and provision of basic services, vulnerable and excluded, and good governance; GPRS II emphased continued macroeconomic stability, human resource development, private sector competitiveness, and good governance and civic responsibility.
The global food and energy crisis experienced between 2006 and 2008, as well as the effect of the global economic crisis and the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections adversely affected pro-poor expenditures. Spending under the HIPC debt relief fund continued with activities in support of both poverty reduction and growth enhancement while the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) which came into effect in 2006 provided additional fiscal space in 2007 to address the energy crisis among others. Total poverty reduction expenditure as percentage of total Government spending declined from 34.56% in 2006 to 22.82% in 2007 and further down to 22.3% in 2008 (2008 APR ). In terms of sector shares, the largest share of total poverty spending went into activities related to provision of basic education, which accounted for 41.42% in 2007 and 47.24% in 2008. This was followed by the health sector spending at 19.5% in 2007 and 18.05% in 2008. Expenditure on rural electrification, rural water and feeder roads ranged from 1.57% to 7.23% in 2007 and 1.36% to 5.04% in 2008. Such declines in poverty spending have implications for the achievement of the MDGs despite the country being on-track to achieve the poverty, and related targets which forms the focus of subsequent discussions. Analysis of the available data in 2006 shows that Ghana is largely on track in achieving the MDG 1 target of reducing by half the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty. Although current data on poverty is not available, trends in economic growth suggest a further decline in poverty between 2006 and 2008.
 |
| Source: 2008 Ghana MDG progress report, 2010 |
As of today the 9th of December 2011, the situation is completely distressing as a new FAO report paints a despairing picture about hunger and poverty in Ghana.
According to reports from the FAO and various international organisations, food crisis is escalating and is having a serious impact on Ghanaians. While this is going on, the Mills-Mahama government is generating propaganda that all is well in Ghana. It is as if they are measuring the well-being of the Ghanaian by the burgeoning size of the bellies of the Anyidohos of a 'Better Ghana'.
During the month of May, increased warnings about the global 2010 - 2011 food crisis were issued. NDC propagandists chose to create the impression of total preparedness of the government for any eventual crisis in Ghana. They spoke of the food buffer stock, as if it was a Better Ghana initiative.
What they did not say, however, was that Ghana’s buffer stock can only cover 3 weeks of domestic maize supply. There is growing evidence of shortage of maize on the Ghanaian market despite the setting up of the National Food Buffer Stock Company. We are told this company can hold up to about 430,000 metric tonnes of maize alone every year, which can last for only 3 weeks.
In the event of a food crisis hitting Ghana, a 3-week buffer stock can only compound the problem. This is because it is not enough to be used to either stabilise prices or offset famine.
The least that the NDC should have done was to behave like a responsible and competent government and expand Ghana’s buffer stock capacity. Unfortunately, our Christian President refused to take lessons from the Bible. Since the Biblical days, buffer stocks have been used over and over to save nations from dire consequences of famine. This was the case with the story of Joseph in the Bible; seven years of good harvest, the food was stored in national buffer stock and when seven years of famine came, the food was released from the stores.
A buffer stock scheme is an intervention storage or granary for the purposes of stabilising prices or safeguarding a nation against any threat of famine. In 2009 and 2010, when the FAO was warning the world that the global food crisis of 2007 an 2008 were likely to return with a vengeance, our government in Ghana was happy telling us that because of its good policies we have bumper harvests and because of bumper harvests prices have been stable and inflation low.
What any thoughtful government would have done would have been to buy food during these so-called periods of surplus in the economy, stored them in an expanded ever-normal granary, with the intention of selling from these stores at the time of food shortages.
In spite of all the UN warnings in May, the Mills-Mahama led National Democratic Congress administration, which has been in office for the past three years, contrived to ensure a growth rate in Agriculture of only 2.8% as opposed to their set target of 5.3%.
Poultry farmers across the country are complaining about the shortage of maize, a major ingredient for the production of feed, over the last couple of weeks. This shortage is adversely affecting their business and in turn will affect consumers of poultry products during the Christmas festivities.
A quick look at the facts reveal that in 2008, under former President Kufuor, candidate Mills accused the NPP of failing in the agricultural sector, at the time when growth for the sector was 7.4 %.
This was the growth rate of the agricultural sector that the supposedly ‘failed’ Kufuor bequeathed to the ‘honest, genuine and believable’ Mills. It was this growth rate that we were promised a massive improvement upon to shame critics of the president. What have been the growth rates of agriculture since 2009? In 2009, the agricultural sector growth declined to 7.2% from 7.4% in 2008.
 |
| Minister Kwesi Ahwoi and veep John Mahama |
Atta Mills is indeed shaming his critics with agriculture. But, what is more dangerous is that Ghana is entering 2012 with a looming food crisis, which could lead to famine in several parts of the country, especially the North.
