Former President John Dramani Mahama on Friday reiterated his vision for a brighter future for Ghana.
In a keynote address he delivered at the NDC LAB Policy Dialogue held at the Peduase Valley Resort in Aburi, Eastern region, Mr. Mahama underscored the National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) commitment to implementing bold policies aimed at addressing the country’s socio-economic challenges and fostering inclusive growth.
Mr. Mahama highlighted the urgency of the current economic crisis facing Ghana, citing alarming statistics on unemployment and worsening living conditions.
He criticised the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration for its mismanagement and ineptitude, which he argued had exacerbated the country’s economic woes.
“The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reported on Wednesday this week that unemployment keeps rising and currently stands at a staggering 14.7%, as nearly 1.4 million young people aged 15 to 35 were unemployed in the first three quarters of 2023 alone. This is, by every account, a very harrowing situation.
“Worsening living conditions, unbearable hardships, a spiralling cost of living, high inflation, rising inequality, a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, a steep erosion of the purchasing power of Ghanaians, an unsustainable public debt, massive debt defaults, a failing currency, and astronomic budget deficits tell the tale of a catastrophic economic meltdown, which is the result of shocking mismanagement and ineptitude by the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia administration.
“Compounding our miserable circumstances as Ghanaians are astonishing levels of governmental corruption and plain thievery of our resources, severely weakened and heavily politicised governance institutions serving the NPP rather than the national interest, and, more importantly, the insufferable arrogance of power.
“This is not the Ghana we subscribed to. Without a doubt, this current iteration of our country requires urgent rebuilding anchored on our collective aspirations with workable, progressive, and sustainable policies,” he said.
In response to these challenges, Mahama outlined what he called a comprehensive strategy for economic recovery and governance reform, emphasising the importance of a resilient governance structure anchored on ICT uptake and innovation, which would drive job creation and economic growth.
He unveiled several key initiatives, including a “Digital Jobs Initiative” aimed at creating 300,000 skilled employment opportunities for young people.
Mahama also announced plans to establish a FinTech Growth Fund to support indigenous companies in the digital economy and launch a “Coding for Employment Programme” to train one million coders.
Mahama’s address also highlighted the NDC’s commitment to addressing infrastructure deficits through the completion of abandoned and uncompleted government projects.
He emphasised the party’s readiness to govern, citing ongoing efforts to collect data on infrastructure projects and develop implementation frameworks for policy proposals.
Mahama concluded his address by reiterating the NDC’s pledge to build a Ghana that reflects the aspirations of its citizens, and expressed confidence in the party’s ability to deliver on its promises and protect the integrity of the electoral process in the upcoming elections.