- Ghana’s president-elect, John Dramani Mahama, will take workplace on January 7 for his second time period after his tenure from 2012 to 2016.
- Mahama has outlined an bold agenda to stabilise the economic system, enhance governance, and create alternatives for all Ghanaians.
- Mahama’s administration should stability fiscal self-discipline with the pressing want for financial aid and social reforms.
Ghana’s president-elect, John Dramani Mahama, will take workplace on January 7, returning to management after his tenure from 2012 to 2016. With a decisive victory, securing 56.55 per cent of the vote, Mahama inherits a nation grappling with financial hardships, inflation, and challenges in crucial sectors like cocoa and gold. In response, he has outlined an bold agenda to stabilise the economic system, enhance governance, and create alternatives for all Ghanaians.
Financial Stability and Development
Mahama has emphasised that he is not going to abandon Ghana’s $3 billion Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) rescue package deal, initiated by outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo. The IMF deal helped lower inflation by half and returned Ghana’s economic system to a progress path, however Mahama mentioned extra work was wanted to ease financial hardship.
Thus, as he beforehand said, Ghana’s president-elect plans to renegotiate the phrases of the IMF deal to deal with wasteful authorities spending and improve the nation’s vitality infrastructure.
“Once I speak about renegotiation, I don’t imply we’re jettisoning the programme,” Mahama mentioned. “We’re sure by it, however we’re saying that throughout the programme, it needs to be potential to make some changes to swimsuit actuality.”
“The financial scenario is dire … and I’m going to place my soul, physique and all the pieces into it and give attention to making lives higher for Ghanaians,” mentioned Mahama, whose Nationwide Democratic Congress social gathering additionally received comfortably in a parliamentary vote on Dec. 7.
He added that the “multiplicity of taxes” agreed to as a part of the IMF programme had made Ghana “disagreeable for enterprise”.
In line with Mahama, the IMF had agreed to ship an early mission to Ghana to conduct a daily assessment, including that discussions would give attention to “ easy out the debt restructuring,” which is now in its remaining lap.
“We additionally suppose that (the IMF) haven’t put sufficient strain on the federal government to chop wasteful expenditures,” he mentioned, including a assessment would intention to scale back spending, together with by the president’s workplace. “If the president is asking us to tighten our belt, he should additionally tighten his,” he mentioned.
Nationwide Dialogue
The president-elect has additionally indicated {that a} nationwide financial dialogue will probably be convened to evaluate fiscal challenges and design a consolidation program for the 2025 funds.
A big focus will probably be on mitigating the cost-of-living disaster by lowering taxes and levies that burden companies and people. This contains scrapping the digital levy and reviewing taxes on autos and industrial tools.
Mahama additionally plans to implement a 24-hour economic system, enabling companies and public establishments to function in shifts, boosting productiveness and job creation.
Mahama acknowledges the crucial state of Ghana’s vitality sector, significantly the struggling Electrical energy Firm of Ghana, and has pledged swift reforms to stabilise energy provide.
Concurrently, job creation stays a high precedence. Initiatives like a nationwide apprenticeship program and the “One Million Coders” challenge intention to equip youth with employable expertise and foster innovation.
Governance Reforms and Social Insurance policies
In his first 120 days, Mahama intends to kind the “leanest authorities” in Ghana’s historical past, nominating all cupboard ministers inside two weeks of taking workplace. He plans to introduce a code of conduct for presidency officers and prohibit political appointees from buying state property. These measures intention to reinforce transparency and restore public belief in governance.
On the social entrance, Mahama’s administration will implement a “no-academic price” coverage for first-year college students in public tertiary establishments and supply free tertiary schooling for individuals with disabilities. Moreover, free sanitary pads will probably be distributed to feminine college students in main and secondary colleges to deal with instructional inequality.
Ghana’s President-elect Dedicated to Lengthy-Time period Change
In his acceptance speech, Mahama pledged full dedication to enhancing the lives of Ghanaians. His proposed measures, whereas bold, replicate a dedication to addressing the urgent wants of a rustic recovering from its worst financial disaster in a technology.
As Ghana seems to be to the longer term, Mahama’s administration faces the problem of balancing fiscal self-discipline with the pressing want for financial aid and social reforms. His management within the coming months will set the tone for Ghana’s restoration and progress trajectory.
