Ensure full implementation of GH¢100 billion “Obaatan pa CARES” programme – Akufo-Addo to MiDA board

President Akufo-Addo has charged the newly constituted governing board of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), the body selected by the Ministry of Finance to take over the implementation phase of the GH¢100 billion Ghana COVID-19 Alleviation and Revitalization of Enterprises Support (CARES) “Obaatan pa” programme and to coordinate all the activities related to the economic enclaves’ component, to ensure a successful implementation of the initiative.

The “Obaatan pa” CARES programme is a three and half year comprehensive programme to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, return the country to a sustained path of robust growth and to create a more resilient and transformed economy.

Ghana CARES is not the totality of Government’s economic development programme but rather; it represents the strategic and catalytic interventions that will foster a quicker recovery and boost the nation’s post-COVID economic transformation.

MiDA selection / track record

Addressing the ten-member MiDA governing board at the Jubilee House after administering the oaths of secrecy and of office to them today, Wednesday, 7 June 2023, President Akufo-Addo said the finance ministry’s decision in selecting MiDA as the implementing body for the [“Obaatan pa” CARES programme], is a recognition of MiDA’s track record in effective programme management and in its capacity to handle the related accountabilities”.

“While the quantum of the budget earmarked for the economic enclaves’ Project EEP and the related funding arrangements is vastly different from those of the two millennium Challenge Compacts implemented by MiDA in February 2007 to February 2012 and from September 2016 to June 2022 respectively, the expectation is that all the implementing entities will work speedily and harmoniously to realize the outputs expected from the novel agricultural focused economic enclaves’ to be set-up across the country” President Akufo-Addo said.

“As the coordinating entity for the enclave projects, MiDA is expected to adopt and follow the same systematic approaches to project management that characterized the project implementation of the compact projects. After handling Ghana’s compact programmes from 2007 to date, the authority has many experiences and lessons learnt which are going to be brought to bear on the task envisaged under this assignment” the President added.

Oversight / participation

The President in his remarks did indicate that he expects “the oversight role of [the MiDA] board which comprises five ministers of state, from the ministries of Finance, Food and Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development and Gender, Women and Social Protection, and representatives of the Association of Ghana Industries, the National Service Secretariat, and the Private Enterprise Foundation, to ensure speedy access to need inputs, and the employment of best practices by all participants during the term of the economic enclaves’ project,”.

On the participation of the private sector, President Akufo-Addo, observed that “it is also [his] expectation that the decision to highlight the participation of private sector investors in activities within the enclaves’ will ensure its sustainability”.

“The involvement of the 48 engineer regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces in land preparation and development, the lead role of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority in land surveys and the provision of the irrigation infrastructure, the supportive roles of the Ministries of Energy, and Roads and Highways, the provision of agricultural equipment and certified seeds from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and its agencies are compelling evidence of the strong desire to facilitate the work of private sector investors and the youth and also to underpin the sustainability of the enclaves concept” President Akufo-Addo noted.

New approach

The President was quick to “emphasis that this new approach to state sponsored large scale commercial farming is not fashioned after the erstwhile government owned state farms concept” which currently no longer operational.

“You the MiDA board must ensure that the necessary de-risking and facilitative arrangements initiated by the government which involves all the implementing entities and partners will be sustained in order to support the realization of the government’s vision of enhancing government self sufficiency in the production of rice, poultry, tomatoes, curtailing import levels and ensuring substantial youth participation in food farming and in the agro-processing values chains” President Akufo-Addo pointed out.

Innovative project

On behalf of her colleagues, Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, chairperson of the MiDA governing board, registered their appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for appointing them as members of the new board, having found the work and performance of MiDA on the power compact satisfactory.

The new role of the board which is to coordinate the economic enclave project according to Professor Ntiamoa-Baidu is an innovative project that seeks to fill gaps in Ghana’s staple food production and minimize food importation.

“[The economic enclave project] is a concrete demonstration of the famous statement of the President during the COVID-19 that you know how to bring the economy back to life,”. This project will definitely contribute to reviving the Ghanaian economy,” Professor Ntiamoa-Baidu said.

“We trust in your commitment and dedication to our dear country. We believe in the strategies that you and your government are putting in place to revive our economy, therefore, we pledge our full support, dedication, and commitment to ensure that MiDA delivers on its new mandate” the MiDA board chairperson added.

Composition of the board

The governing board of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) has Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, as chairperson and nominee of the President, Mr. Martin Eson-Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer, MIDA, Bryan Acheampong, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, representative from the Ministry of Finance, and K.T. Hammond, Minister for Trade and Industry.

The rest are Dan Botwe, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation & Rural Development, Abudu Lariba Zuweira, Minister Gender, Children & Social Protection, Osei Assibey Antwi, Executive Director, National Service Secretariat, Dr. Kwasi Humphrey Ayim-Darke, representative of the Association of Ghana Industries and Mark Badu-Aboagye representative of the Private Enterprise Foundation.

MiDA

The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 702, 709 & 897 as amended). The objectives of the Authority are: To oversee, manage and implement the Programmes under the Millennium Challenge Account for poverty reduction through economic growth as set out in each agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Millennium Challenge Corporation acting for and on behalf of the Government of the United States of America and for any other national development programme of similar nature funded by the Government of Ghana, a Development Partner or both and to provide for related matters.