The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Professor Stephen Adei has noted the need for Ghanaians to make good use of available natural resources and invest in heavy industries, such as petrochemical.
Investing in these areas, he said required the use of petroleum products and salt.
Prof. Adei argues that Ghana was endowed with natural resources and hence the need to harness these products for the benefit of all.
According to Prof. Adei “To become the properly developed country that we are yearning for, we need integrated aluminum, iron and steel industries to make use of the huge bauxite and iron ore deposits that we have. ”
Speaking at the first anniversary lecture of the Northern Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana at New Achimota last Thursday, Prof. Adei, touched on sustainable national development.
He noted four things Ghana needs to achieve the development goal were; improvement in the material welfare of the people, social cohesion development and a change in attitudes and behaviors.
He added the current government had good policies that would propel the country forward and cited the Planting for Food and Jobs programme as one of such laudable policies.
He, however, noted that more needed to be done and called for the acceleration of the development processes.
The NDPC Chairman also pushed for Ghana to improve on its infrastructure projects such as railways, which he believed would drive the national development agenda to greater levels.