IEA launches policy journal

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11-07-08

THE Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on Thursday launched the Ghana Policy Journal- Volume Two, which seeks to address policy-related issues across a wide spectrum.
The journal is the first academic journal produced by an independent think tank in the country, and deals with major contemporary issues ranging from the economy to education, law and politics.
Performing the launch, the Chief Adviser to the President, Dr (Mrs) Mary Chinery-Hesse, urged the IEA to consider publishing a precise popular version of the journal to bring it within the comprehension of more Ghanaians.
According to her, the presentation of articles in the journal brought to the fore the challenges faced by such a publication, where academic scholarship was limited.
“The completed formulae, mathematical equations, graphs, charts etc, obviously targeted at the intellectual community are truly very impressive. I plead, however, that for future volumes, you spare a thought for those of us who might not be so educated,” she appealed.
Dr Chinery-Hesse indicated that the Ghana Policy Journal had the luck of not only having a link with the American Economic Association, but more importantly it will be housed in the IEA.
The Editor of the Journal, Dr Kwabena Asomani Anaman, said the current issue of the journal contained six contributed articles in the areas of poverty analysis, health care access, inflation, political science, public administration and international law.
The first article for instance, he said, investigated how the benefits of poverty reduction programmes implemented in the Bolgatanga Municipality were distributed among various welfare groups, using economic analysis.
He explained that the study established that poverty reduction programmes in the area had been repressive and not pro-poor, adding that “these programmes could be more effective with better targeting based on household socio-economic characteristics and the incorporation of the attitudes of households in the planning poverty reduction programmes”.
Dr Anaman announced that volume three of the journal was expected to be completed in February 2009, and launched in June 2009.
“Three papers have already been accepted for publication. This issue will contain a special commissioned article on the December 7, 2008 elections.
A Senior Fellow at the IEA, Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (retd) , said the knowledge in the journal would help propel the country into industrial growth.
Prof Abena Dolphyne of the IEA Advisory Council said the journal would facilitate the understanding of public policy.