The President, John Dramani Mahama, in fulfilment of his 120-day social contract pledge to Ghanaians during his inausguration on January 7, this year, President John Dramani Mahama has constituted a seven-member National Economic Dialogue Planning Committee tasked with organising the National Economic Dialogue (NED).
Chaired by renowned economist and former Chairman of Unilever Plc, Dr Ishmael Yamson, the committee would create a platform for addressing Ghana’s pressing economic challenges and building consensus on reforms to reposition the economy for inclusive and resilient growth.
It also has a renowned development economist and former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr K.Y. Amoako, Professor John Gatsi -Dean of the School of Business at the University of Cape Coast and Mr Mohammed Samara, an Investment Strategist.
The rest include an advocate for gender-responsive policy frameworks and economic inclusion, Ms Nelly Mireku; the Acting Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and former Partner at KPMG, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong and a business strategist in trade and industrial policy, Mr Ernest De-Graft Egyir.
In a statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by Acting Presidential spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the dialogue is expected to address fundamental issues afflicting Ghana’s economy while fostering collaboration between government, academia, industry, and civil society.
“The National Economic Dialogue (NED) will offer a platform for dialogue and consultation on the country’s pressing development challenges. It will also discuss policy trade-offs and build consensus on reforms needed to transform Ghana into a high-growth, inclusive, and resilient economy,” it added.
Moreover, the committee, it stated, has four weeks to submit a detailed report outlining plans for the dialogue. Key deliverables include: designing a comprehensive programme aligned with the dialogue’s objectives, identifying and inviting speakers and panelists from fields such as economics, energy, and agriculture.
It is, to among other things, secure venues, transportation, and other logistical needs, organising panel discussions, workshops, and breakout sessions, with moderators and rapporteurs assigned for effective session management.
The committee is further mandated to prepare a comprehensive record of proceedings and policy recommendations, and promote awareness of the dialogue through strategic public engagement and information dissemination.
It will also bring together experts in economics, energy, agriculture, and other critical fields to provide actionable policy recommendations.
BY TIMES REPORTER
