ACCRA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama launched a national economic dialogue on Monday to navigate the country's economic growth path.
Addressing the participants in the national capital of Accra, Mahama stressed the importance of the meeting that will seek solutions to Ghana's recurring economic challenges and formulate strategies to put the country back on a sustainable growth path.
"We are gathered here to reclaim our country's economic strength to make us a beacon of progress on the African continent, not only a beacon of democracy but a beacon of economic prosperity," he said.
The president underlined the crucial role of governance reforms to improve transparency and accountability, urging collective responsibility in rebuilding the economy. "I vow to do everything in my power to steer this nation toward a brighter and more prosperous future," he said.
Mahama also called for proposals on structural reforms that will address the needs of the private sector to make it the real engine of growth to create jobs for the sprawling youthful population.
"The road to economic recovery will be challenging, but we must not relent in our desire to rebuild the Ghana we all want. I am committed to ensuring that the lessons learned from this dialogue session will shift the decisions we make in the years ahead," he added.
Under the theme of "Resetting Ghana: Building the Economy We Want Together," the two-day dialogue brought together government officials, business leaders, development partners, labor unions, and other actors.
The West African exporter of cocoa, gold, and crude oil has been implementing economic reforms since May 2023, backed by a 3-billion-U.S.-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund to tackle multiple protracted economic challenges, including currency depreciation, high inflation, and ballooning public sector debts. ■
