Vision 2020: Ghana and Rwanda’s long term plan to learn from Singapore

- Details about Ghana's ambitious plan to become like Singapore in the year 2020 have surfaced online

- It all started when former president, Jerry John Rawlings, presented a plan to the House of Parliament in the mid-nineties

- Details show that Rwanda has, however, taken steps to actualise the dream of becoming like Singapore

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In the mid-nineties, Ghana’s former president, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, presented a plan to Parliament which sought to ensure that Ghana becomes Africa’s Singapore.

The aim was to ensure the country becomes a middle-income status nation by the year 2020.

YEN.com.gh has learned that Rwanda employed a similar strategy but the results available on the progress of the two African countries are different.

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Ghana’s Vision 2020 was a bold plan to ensure Ghana follows Singapore’s footsteps in transforming itself from a third-world country to a middle-income country in a short time.

Details available show that Singapore is currently listed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the world’s third-richest country per capita; Ghana currently stands at number 126.

Details show that in the 1990s the Lee Kuan Yew-led Singapore became a global financial, trading, and industrial centre. Its free market and economic growth over the years inspired Ghana to imitate it.

A report by dw.com shows that it is credited for having a robust economy and modern infrastructure.

Ghana, over the years, has reportedly taken steps to reduce poverty but faces challenges with respect to the uneven distribution of the standard of living.

Rwanda, on the other hand, is reportedly the only African country on record to have come close to emulating Singapore’s story.

It currently boasts of year of strong economic growth, clean streets in the capital, Kigali, and donor praise for fighting corruption.

The country’s economic record looks good, but is reported to be deficient in its fight to protect human rights.

Critics of Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, argue that the economic gains were secured at the cost of suppression of dissenting views and media rights.

In other news, YEN.com.gh has learned that a Swiss-based company, NEK, is ready to construct 1 000 megawatts of wind power for Ghana.

This forms part of plans to see to the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832).

Details available show that the project would be executed in two phases: 150 megawatts of wind power for phase one and 75 megawatts for phase two.

READ ALSO: Ghanaian steel factory gets $1.2m support from IFC to create jobs

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Source: YEN.com.gh