Since returning to office in January 2025, President John Dramani Mahama has embarked on a governance path that blends continuity with renewed urgency.
Six months into his return to Ghana’s highest office, President John Dramani Mahama faces the twin pressures of expectation and execution. Elected on a campaign that promised economic reset, institutional discipline, and restoration of public trust, Mahama’s early tenure is now under increasing public scrutiny—measured not just by rhetoric but results.
According to a policy breakdown by Accra Street Journal, the Mahama administration’s opening months have focused largely on three fronts: stabilizing the economy, rebuilding national institutions, and reigniting investor confidence.
1. The Economic Tightrope: A Strategy of Containment
One of the most immediate hurdles the administration faced was Ghana’s fragile macroeconomic position. Inflation, which had breached 35% in late 2024, showed signs of tapering by May 2025—falling to 29.6%, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service. While marginal, the drop is being cautiously interpreted by financial analysts as a sign of fiscal tightening taking root.
The Mahama administration’s renewed cooperation with the IMF and the Bank of Ghana appears to have calmed nerves in the bond markets, but questions remain about long-term debt sustainability. Accra Street Journal reports that as of June, the Ministry of Finance is finalizing restructuring talks with bilateral creditors, with Eurobond negotiations still ongoing.
A new fiscal responsibility charter—mandating expenditure ceilings and real-time auditing—is expected to be tabled before Parliament in July, part of Mahama’s commitment to what he calls “a discipline-first economy.”
2. Institutional Rebuilding: Reclaiming Public Confidence
President Mahama has also moved decisively on the governance front. Within weeks of taking office, the administration launched a Presidential Public Procurement Review Panel, aimed at investigating sole-sourced contracts issued between 2020 and 2024.
In April, over 30 heads of MDAs were reassigned or dismissed in what insiders describe as “a necessary purge.” The Office of the Special Prosecutor, now working under revised operational guidelines issued in March, has re-opened dormant dockets, including cases involving former appointees from both NDC and NPP backgrounds.
A major point of interest has been Mahama’s pledge to digitize all government-to-citizen service platforms under a single interoperable portal. The initiative—branded “MyGov Ghana”—is being piloted across five ministries, according to information obtained by Accra Street Journal.
3. Private Sector & Investment: Restoring the Business Mood
After a sluggish 2024, early signals from the private sector show moderate optimism. The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) and AGI have both issued cautiously supportive statements about Mahama’s engagement with industry players. Notably, in May, the President held Ghana’s first “Presidential Roundtable on Productive Investment,” inviting both foreign investors and local conglomerates.
Key measures such as the scrapping of the 1.75% E-Levy, lowering of import duties by 10%, and the reactivation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council’s (GIPC) single-window investor clearance platform have been welcomed.
That said, execution remains patchy. Critics say the administration has yet to offer a comprehensive industrial policy. Ghana’s agric sector, for instance, continues to receive less than 5% of total bank credit and under 2% of FDI—a reality highlighted in a recent Accra Street Journal economic feature.
The Verdict: Still Early, But Signs of Direction
While too early to deliver a full report card, the Mahama administration has offered a blend of symbolic and substantive policy maneuvers in its first half-year. What’s clear is that the President is attempting to engineer a return not just to power, but to credibility—internationally and domestically.
Yet, the sustainability of these early gains will rest on more than executive orders or press releases. The private sector wants consistency. Citizens want transparency. And Ghana’s youth—many of whom remain unemployed—want results.
The months ahead will be critical. Mahama must not only consolidate his initial reforms but deliver measurable, tangible outcomes in employment, healthcare, education, and local enterprise development.
For now, the nation watches—and Accra Street Journal will continue tracking every move.
This article was first published by Accra Street Journal.
