Ghanaians have urged the John Dramani Mahama-led government to pursue an aggressive, inclusive, and sustainable growth that will ensure economic transformation.
This was contained in the communique issued late Tuesday at the end of the two-day national economic dialogue initiated by Mahama on Monday.
The eight-point communique said the government should prioritize investments into agricultural development and industrialization as part of efforts for sustainable growth.
“The government should review and introduce a streamlined tax system for agricultural inputs and outputs to promote efficiency, reduce burdens, and support sector growth,” the communique urged.
It said the government should also establish new agricultural institutes across the country and enhance existing ones to boost expertise, drive innovation, and stimulate interest in industrialized agricultural production.
Moreover, the participants also urged the government to promote private sector-led growth to unlock the full potential of businesses, emphasizing the need to structure and institutionalize a platform for sustained government-private sector engagements.
They also urged the government to enhance the awareness of Ghanaians about the African Continental Free Trade Area and provide hands-on support to businesses to take advantage of the trade opportunities.
The communique also urged the government and the Bank of Ghana to direct a portion of banks’ cash reserve requirements toward credit creation and provide tailored financing for the private sector.
The document also urged the prioritization of the development of economic infrastructure to drive growth in all sectors.
In her closing remarks, Ghanaian Vice President Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang said the dialogue was critical due to the urgency of restoring confidence in Ghana’s economy by maintaining macroeconomic stability, studying inflation, strengthening the local currency, and creating fiscal policies to support long-term sustainable growth.
“We recognize that growth must be broad-based. It must be deep, both vertical and horizontal. We must move away from over-reliance on a few sectors in order to enhance our competitiveness at all levels,” Opoku-Agyemang stressed.
She said the agenda to reset the Ghanaian economy and governance systems to create a society that benefits all citizens is one that needs the support and participation of all, urging Ghanaians to embrace and participate in the government’s resetting agenda.