Reconstruction of new economic reality
Ghana stands at a pivotal juncture.
This is not mere political parlance but the palpable reality underscored by President John Dramani Mahama in his address at the 77th New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana yesterday. (See front page)
The theme, “Building the Ghana We Want Together for Sustainable Development,” provided an apt backdrop for a speech that was less a routine policy declaration and more a profound meditation on our national trajectory.
The President articulated a vision that is both ambitious and urgent, which goes to the core of the very foundations of our governance and economic conduct.
The question before the nation is whether this moment will be remembered as a genuine turning point or another eloquent pronouncement lost to the winds of political expediency.
The President’s diagnosis of a chronic national ailment is unerringly accurate.
His observation that “we cannot build the Ghana we want if the progress made under one regime is reversed under another” speaks to the heart of our development stagnation.
For decades, Ghana has been trapped in a debilitating cycle of policy discontinuity, where programmes are discarded not on merit but on the altar of partisan change.
This “winner-takes-all” approach to governance has left us with a patchwork of abandoned projects and a citizenry weary of unfulfilled promises.
To position the nation at a “defining crossroads” is to acknowledge this painful history and to demand an “irreversible break.”
The pillars upon which this new path is to be built are sound and comprehensive.
A productive, diversified economy anchored on value addition; investment in human capital; the pursuit of good governance and national discipline; environmental stewardship; and a renewed sense of inclusion and shared purpose, these are the non-negotiable elements of a sustainable future.
The specific policy announcements give these pillars tangible form.
The mandate for value addition to all raw exports is a long-overdue strategy to capture greater wealth from our natural endowments and create jobs.
The billion Cedis “Big Push” for infrastructure, targeting transformative projects like the Accra-Kumasi Expressway and a new Green Digital City, signals an intent to bridge our immense deficit and catalyse economic activity.
Perhaps the most critical announcements, however, lie in the realm of governance and institutional reform.
The establishment of an Independent Value for Money Office and the passage of the Code of Public Officers Bill represent a direct assault on the canker of fiscal indiscipline and corruption that has drained national resources.
The move to inaugurate a Constitutional Review Implementation Committee suggests a readiness to confront the structural impediments to our democracy.
Most significantly, the pledge to make the current IMF programme our last is a declaration of intended economic sovereignty.
It is a promise made plausible by the cited stability of the currency, controlled inflation, and improved reserves, but its fulfilment hinges entirely on the discipline of the coming years.
Yet, as the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, and Council Chair, Ms Marietta Brew, eloquently emphasised, the vision of sustainability is one of collective endeavour. Ms Brew’s reminder that “one finger is not enough to lift a load” is a timeless Ghanaian wisdom that must guide this mission. The government alone cannot build the Ghana we want.
The private sector must embrace the shift to value addition. Academia must intensify research and innovation. Civil society and the media must maintain vigilant and constructive scrutiny.
Every citizen must demand accountability and contribute to a culture of disciplined national service.
Therefore, while we commend the breadth and depth of the vision outlined by the President, we must treat it not as a destination reached but as a contract offered.
The true test begins now.
The promise of an irreversible break from bailouts will be judged by our ability to live within our means, to collect revenue efficiently, and to spend with uncompromising integrity.
The pledge of policy continuity will be tested by the political will to build consensus around national priorities, insulating them from the electoral calendar.
The commitment to unity will be measured by the inclusivity of the process and the tangible steps to bridge our deep-seated divisions.
The New Year School has, true to its tradition, provided the platform for a crucial national dialogue.
The blueprint presented is compelling.
It now falls on all of us, the government, opposition, traditional leaders, business community, and every Ghanaian, to move from deliberation to determined action.
We have been presented with a roadmap.
The Daily Graphic calls on all to walk it together, with resolve, integrity, and an unwavering focus on the sustainable future we owe to generations yet unborn.
The crossroads is here; the path of resolve must be our only choice.
