The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has appealed to politicians and policy makers to depoliticise business and entrepreneurship matters.
Speaking at the second Kwahu Business Forum on Saturday, April 19, 2025, he said that no matter how good political promises sound, they won’t mean much if people can’t get fair and easy access to money to grow their businesses.
“No economy can thrive where access to finance remains elusive, Ghana’s economic future will depend heavily on the strength, agility, and resilience of its business community and on the strategic role the financial sector plays in supporting indigenous enterprises to scale up and succeed.
“When we empower local businesses with the capital and confidence they need to grow, we do more than boost productivity, we open up pathways to job creation”, he noted.
He emphasised that this is especially important for Ghana’s youth, many of whom miss out on opportunities simply because they don’t belong to the right political party.
“In a country where youth unemployment remains one of our most urgent national challenges, building a strong and inclusive financial ecosystem is not just an economic imperative, it is a social one as well, and as someone who has spent over two decades not only in public service but also in private enterprise, I have walked that often unpredictable road.
“I know what it means to raise capital, to innovate through constraints, to weather storms in a fragile entrepreneurial ecosystem. These personal experiences have deepened my conviction that entrepreneurship is not just a livelihood, it is nation building. I don’t just sympathise with their journey out of theory; I identify with it through experience. I understand their struggles, their sacrifices, and their ambitions”, he stated.
He further urged the government to create an ecosystem where business owners can thrive without fear of being tagged or targeted.
“We must celebrate enterprise and actively cultivate an environment where hard work and creativity are rewarded, the success of a business should never depend on which political regime is in power. Nor should it be stifled by partisan labels.
“Our role as political leaders is not to frustrate private sector actors, but to foster a fair and enabling environment where merit, innovation, and hard work thrive”, he noted.
The Minority Leader urged policymakers to adopt long-term national planning built around values that unify, not divide.
“We must also take a hard look at how we extend opportunity particularly to the youth. They must not be supported only when they wear our party colours. They must be supported when they demonstrate potential, creativity, and drive. Ghana’s future cannot be built on partisan loyalty. It must be built on merit. Those who deserve opportunity should be given opportunity regardless of political affiliation.
“That is how we build a nation. That is how we create competition. And that is how we create real, lasting progress. I believe the time has come for Ghana to consider establishing a national orientation program built around these values that prioritise enterprise, fairness, and inclusion over partisanship and division”, he stated.
JKB/EB
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