Economic Development in Ghana and Malaysia investigates why two countries that appeared to be at more or less the same stage of economic development at one point in time have diverged so substantially. At the time of their independence from the UK in 1957, both Ghana and Malaysia were at roughly the same stage of economic development; in fact, Ghana’s real per capita income was slightly ahead of Malaysia’s. Since then, Ghana’s development has been sluggish, while Malaysia’s economy has taken off into sustained growth and today, the real per capita income of Malaysia is about five times that of Ghana. This volume examines the pre-colonial and colonial economies of both countries, and the economic policies pursued after independence. In doing so, it aims to identify policies which might have contributed to Malaysia’s development and those which might have slowed Ghana’s. The authors ask whether lessons can be learned from the successes of countries such as Malaysia. This detailed comparative analysis will be useful to students and researchers of development economics as well as public policy makers in developing countries. It is written in language which makes it accessible to the general reader.

For those wishing to acquire knowledge on national development issues, this comprehensive compendium traverses a spectrum of subjects that the audience ought to be well acquainted with. The Editors provide instructive findings regarding national development, economic growth and their determinants, but they also offer historical perspectives on the subject and the implications for developing countries. The book addresses a suite of critical themes regarded by development experts to be germane in considering the pertinence of policies and their effective execution. These seven general thematic areas are explored: ¢ Leadership, governance, policy and strategy ¢ Public sector and public financial management ¢ Culture, institutions and people ¢ Natural resources ¢ Science, technology and infrastructure ¢ Private sector and financial markets ¢ Marketing, branding and service delivery This thematic approach enables the contributors to explore the impact of the constituents of each subject area on national development, within the context of a developing economy. The significance of the findings for the relevant stakeholders is consequently reviewed. The combination of theory and practice makes the book and its contents unique.

The book follows a first edition published in 1989, which focused on the severe economic crisis Ghana faced during the late 1970s and the early 1980s. In this second edition, the authors extend the review up to the mid-2010s, covering the entire period since independence, with a special focus on shifts in economic policy, starting with the adoption of the Economic Recovery Programme in 1983. Huq and Tribe provide systematic coverage of Ghanaian economic development since its independence, reviewing the two main modes of development that have been practiced; and offer an updated, rich data bank. By analyzing the wider macroeconomy of Ghana; its individual sectors; money, banking and trade; infrastructure and environmental policies; and Ghana’s poverty, welfare and income distribution, the authors are able to draw vital lessons from the country’s economic development. ​

In addition to the country cases, it presents regional and overall syntheses that cover orthodox vs.

Published in 1997, this text is set in a context where Ghana has experienced improvements in aggregate output performance over the past decade (1986-1996) yet agriculture's performance remains sub-optimal. The author focuses on agriculture's fragmentation as attributable to space (storage, transportation and marketing), form (rudimentary production methods in general) and content (stagnent productivity and poor organization of production) and notes that whilst current policies have impinged on the space fragmentation, issues on form and content seem to have been left to the dictates of the market. The author calls for a strategy of government plan in promoting modern technology in agriculture to enhance its linkage to industry for rapid and sustainable economic growth.

Monograph on national planning for economic development (economic planning) in Ghana - covers historical and financial aspects, techniques and strategies, etc. Bibliography pp. 79 to 81, references and statistical tables.