I will reset Ghana in four years – Mahama promises

Former President John Dramani Mahama has stated that he has gained sufficient experience to implement strategic policies that could reset the country within four years if he is elected as President.

Acknowledging that four years may not be enough for the government to completely transform the country, he mentioned that his government would prioritize the stability of the economy and the local currency to alleviate the economic hardship facing the people.

Speaking to journalists at a maiden media encounter ahead of the 2024 General Election on Sunday night, the former President expressed his intention to prioritize local production to reduce dependency on imports, which exert pressure on the local currency.

He elaborated on his proposed 24-hour economy, which would focus on local production of goods to meet local demand and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement to export to other African countries.

"Companies that will participate in the 24-hour economy will receive some tax incentives. We need to boost our local production and create jobs for our young people.

"The government has certain obligations to make this work, and we will fulfill them," the former President asserted.

Mr. Mahama acknowledged the country's dire economic situation and thus emphasized that his government would prioritize prudent management of state resources and ensure fiscal discipline.

Among the key policies, he mentioned, would be the establishment of a special committee to audit all government procurement above five million dollars.

He also stated that the government would allocate funds annually for the completion of all abandoned projects before investing in new ones.

Mr. Mahama said his government would revitalize the cocoa sector to enhance production and increase foreign exchange earnings.

Regarding Ghana's Programme with the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Mahama said he would not cancel the program.

He suggested that the government would explore opportunities to "tweak" the agreement to mitigate the impact of the conditionalities on the people.

The former President also mentioned that the government would abolish certain taxes he described as nuisances to lessen the burden on businesses and taxpayers.

"The COVID-19 Levy, E-Levy will be abolished, and we will explore other measures to increase revenue to support the economy.

"We will remove the nuisance taxes, streamline the taxes, and expand the tax net," he said, adding that his government would also rationalize port levies.