The YAFO Institute has convened a virtual town hall discussion under the theme “Assessing Ghana’s Social Contract Policy and Resetting Agenda,” bringing together policy experts to assess President John Dramani Mahama’s first 120 days in office. The session served as a forum to examine the administration’s early performance, policy direction, and prospects for reform.
The panel included Nathaniel Dwamena, President of YAFO Institute; Emmanuel Kundo, Senior Consultant at Deloitte; Isaac Asamoah Eli, Development Planner at the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Decentralisation; and Charles Fiifi Hagan, Governance and Compliance Strategist. Together, they offered a balanced critique of the administration’s progress and challenges.
Achievements and Early Deliverables
Panellists acknowledged key accomplishments in the administration’s first months. Notably, the formation of a lean government, the convening of a National Economic Dialogue, the revitalisation of social intervention programmes, and steps to rebuild investor confidence were highlighted.
Nathaniel Dwamena commended the administration’s efforts to strengthen public engagement. “The government has rekindled public interest in governance, especially through transparency initiatives aimed at restoring trust in state institutions,” he said.
Gaps and Delays
Despite these developments, the forum also spotlighted areas of concern. Emmanuel Kundo criticised the pace of efforts to tackle illegal mining (galamsey) and flagged issues with tax policy, particularly the COVID-19 levy and the absence of innovation in taxing the informal sector.
“In terms of finding an innovative way to generate revenue, government can look at public-private partnerships,” he said.
“The private sector and government can jointly fund national projects for mutual benefit,” he added.
Kundo further cautioned against the pitfalls of full-scale privatisation, suggesting instead a hybrid model.
“A fund-based management contract with selected state-owned enterprises, governed by key performance indicators (KPIs), can help ensure efficiency and accountability.”
Fulfilments and Forward Planning
Isaac Eli pointed to visible progress in campaign pledges, such as youth empowerment initiatives under the National Apprenticeship Programme, tourism projects like the Black Star Experience, expanded healthcare access under Mahama Cares, the scrapping of the e-levy, and education reforms sparked by national dialogue.
However, he stressed that early action must be matched with measurable results. “The signs are promising, but without sustained implementation, these initiatives may not endure,” Eli said.
He also proposed allowing private sector participation in managing certain state institutions under profit-sharing arrangements to improve revenue generation and reduce debt.
The Call for Accountability
To ensure transparency and track progress, Kundo advocated for a performance-based governance dashboard. According to him, “government performance should be tracked quarterly or biannually on a digital platform accessible to both the public and Parliament”, emphasising that if people can pinpoint what their taxes have been used for, they will be more willing to pay.
Charles Fiifi Hagan echoed this sentiment, calling for stronger monitoring mechanisms.
“We need to set control metrics to measure the government by—compare what they said they would do to what they have done,” he said.
A Call for a Reset
The discussion culminated in a consensus on the need for a “resetting agenda”—a broader reevaluation of Ghana’s social contract to promote inclusive, participatory, and citizen-focused governance.
YAFO Institute reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating civil discourse and policy analysis. The panel’s reflections underscored the importance of sustained civic engagement in shaping Ghana’s political and developmental trajectory.
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