A national conference involving all stakeholders will be held later in the year to determine the implementation of the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.
Additionally, a bipartisan conference involving businesses in the private sector will be held to discuss how to revive Ghana’s industrial base.
President John Dramani Mahama made these known when some of the 2012 presidential candidates called on him at the Flagstaff House in Accra to congratulate him on his affirmation as the President of the Republic by the Supreme Court on August 29, 2013.
They are: Dr Foster Abu Sakara, 2012 presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Mr Hassan Ayariga, People’s National Convention (PNC); Dr Henry Lartey, Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); Mr Joseph Osei Yeboah, an independent candidate in the 2012 general election, and Mr Akwasi Addae, United Front Party (UFP).
“By the end of this year, l will bring all stakeholders together to brief them about my policies for the next three years and how we can all contribute to change the structure of the economy,” Mr Mahama said.
He said the round-table conference would look at the critical areas of the economy including the revival of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), as well as the development of the Tema Shipyard, the Sekondi /Takoradi Ports and the Savannah Industrial Zone. “This will be a bold initiative for the economy,” he added.
President Mahama described the Supreme Court election petition as a test for Ghana’s democracy, which was also used to strengthen the country’s institutions, including the Judiciary and the Electoral Commission (EC), saying the outcome and how it was handled made the country stronger again.
He, therefore, pledged to do everything possible to enable the EC to improve the electoral system.
On the effect of the court action on the economy, President Mahama acknowledged that the court action had an adverse effect on the economy but said “you can’t blame anyone. Investors adopted a wait-and-see attitude”.
He said the government used 70 per cent of tax revenue to pay under 5,000 workers, leaving 30 per cent to satisfy the needs of other areas of the economy.
He, therefore, advised all Ghanaians to collaborate to improve the economy and gave an assurance that he would provide the needed leadership to achieve those goals.
President Mahama commended the candidates for the positive role they played during the election petition, saying that “I am glad you rose up to the occasion”.
Dr Sakara, for his part, said, “We are here jointly to appreciate the work you have done throughout the eight-month Supreme Court proceedings. We want to encourage you that we see you as the one in whose hands lie the resources of Ghana,” he said.
Mr Ayariga appealed to the President to get experts together to fix the economy.
Mr Addae pledged that the members of his party would avail themselves to help the President realise his vision, while Mr Yeboah said, “you have been purified by the Supreme Court”.
Dr Lartey said “President Mahama is a true democrat.”
By Timothy Gobah/Daily Graphic/Ghana
