The United Progressive Party (UPP) has launched a 10-year development plan, claiming  Ghana’s economy is dislocated due to lack of ideas by the country’s leaders to create jobs and wealth.

Its flag-bearer, Akwasi Addai Odike, said a UPP-government will ensure the private sector drives the economy to create an enabling environment for businesses to grow.

“As a private sector led administration, we will make sure that the businesses that are folding up and relocating will come back to Ghana. This will bring employment in the country for the youth”.

The party’s 2016 campaign strategy was also launched at the event which took place in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region

He claimed the economic difficulties in the country are ‘self-inflicted’ because most people have commercialized their vote.

“Our suffering is what I termed as self-inflicting because we brought it upon ourselves by allowing someone to bribe us to vote for him. By doing this, we are also practicing commercial democracy”.

Mr Odike said, when voted to power, his administration will embark on an urban cocoa plantation program to boost the annual production to 10 million metric tonnes.

The move, he said, will generate 26 billion dollars, stressing that there wouldn’t be the need to go to International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loan.

Footwear producers in Kumasi will also be provided with manufacturing equipment to aid them produce to international standards, he said.

The UPP also wants all the community day senior high schools being constructed by President Mahama to be used as Science Resource Centres to enhance technical and vocational education.

Mr Odike has introduced Yaw Brogya Mensah as his running mate for the 2016 election, while a nine-member campaign team for election 2016 was also officially inaugurated to begin operations.

Parliamentary candidates vying on the ticket of UPP in constituencies across the country were introduced at the event.

Ibrahim Abubakar |3news.com|Ghana
Twitter @3Newsgh