A Civil Society Group, Arise Ghana, has called for stronger accountability after assessing the first year of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, citing economic stabilisation gains alongside persistent governance and social challenges.
The group said that although the government had restored macroeconomic stability within its first year in office, yet there are gains needed to be consolidated through deeper reforms to improve living standards and strengthen democratic governance.
The assessment was presented yesterday in Accra at a press conference held under the theme: ‘Independent Assessment of the John Dramani Mahama Government’s First Year in Office.’
Presenting the statement, Co-Convener of Arise Ghana, Marion Gifty Nyaaba, said the review was intended to provide an independent and nonpartisan national reflection on Ghana’s state of affairs one year into the administration, rather than to praise the government or engage in political attacks.
She recalled that when the administration assumed office in January 2025, the country was facing severe economic difficulties, including inflation above 23 per cent, treasury bill rates exceeding 30 per cent, depleted foreign reserves, and a rapidly depreciating cedi that was approaching 16 cedis to a dollar.
According to her, the situation at the time had affected households and businesses, with rising food and fuel prices, job losses, and declining investor confidence.
Ms Nyaaba indicated that one year on, key economic indicators had improved markedly. Inflation had declined to about 6.3 per cent, economic growth had rebounded to over six per cent, and treasury bill rates had fallen to around 11 per cent.
She added that foreign reserves had improved to cover nearly five months of imports, while the cedi had stabilised between 10.4 and 10.6 to a dollar, recording its first annual appreciation in more than three decades.
On taxation, the group welcomed the removal of what it described as crisis-driven taxes, including the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy and the Electronic Transfer Levy, saying the measures had eased pressure on households and small and medium scale enterprises.
She said governance reforms such as the introduction of a code of conduct for public appointees, renewed anti-corruption efforts, and the launch of Operation Recover All Loot were positive, but stressed that results mattered more than declarations.
Furthermore, Ms Nyaaba stated that all individuals implicated in past financial irregularities should be investigated and prosecuted regardless of political affiliation, calling for the extradition of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to Ghana to face questioning.
The assessment also reviewed reforms in cocoa, mining, and energy. Ms Nyaaba underlined that restructuring at COCOBOD had improved efficiency but urged greater focus on value addition.
She said the establishment of GoldBod had helped formalise small scale mining and boost foreign exchange inflows.
The revival of the Tema Oil Refinery, she described, as a significant step towards energy security, while the 24-hour economy policy was said to have potential if supported by reliable power and security.
Moreover, she warned that illegal mining, youth unemployment, and environmental degradation remained serious challenges and rejected any calls to extend presidential term limits, describing them as unconstitutional.
Ms Nyaaba said Ghana had been stabilised but was yet to fully transform, urging continued vigilance and citizen engagement.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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