Former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has criticized President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to establish a planning committee for a National Economic Dialogue.
He described this move as a misplaced priority, intended to distract from what he (Dr. Amin Adam) sees as the President’s lack of a clear economic strategy for Ghana.
Reacting to the announcement, Dr. Amin Adam dismissed the initiative as unnecessary and diversionary, accusing President Mahama of using it to justify his claims about inheriting an ailing economy.
“The President doesn’t need a dialogue to understand the context of the Ghanaian economy,” Dr. Amin Adam stated. “At the least, this dialogue is intended to cover up the President’s lack of an economic plan for the country and to whitewash his baseless claims about inheriting a bad economy.”
He argued that the state of the economy demonstrates resilience and recovery, making such a dialogue unwarranted. Referencing key economic data, the Karaga MP highlighted international reserves of US$9 billion as of December 2024, which cover four months of imports, exceeding the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) three-month benchmark.
He also noted an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%, trade and current account surpluses, and reduced fiscal deficits. “These figures show that the fundamentals of the economy are strong and that we have entered a phase of accelerated recovery,” he remarked.
Dr. Amin Adam also criticized the relevance of the dialogue, questioning its ability to deliver meaningful outcomes based on historical precedent.
“This is not the first time the NDC government has held a National Economic Dialogue,” he said. “They did the same in 2014 after winning the 2012 elections. What became of it? They failed to implement the recommendations and instead mismanaged the economy, leading to an IMF programme which they couldn’t complete by the end of 2016.”
He further accused President Mahama of failing to assess the economy properly before making campaign promises, suggesting that the dialogue serves as an attempt to shift responsibility.
Dr. Amin Adam called on Ghanaians to hold the President accountable for his commitments and assured that Parliament would scrutinize the 2025 Budget Statement.
“This dialogue is a diversion,” he stated. “The Ghanaian people deserve real leadership and practical solutions, not an attempt to shift responsibility to a committee whose recommendations may never see the light of day.”
He emphasized the need for policies that address the country’s challenges rather than initiatives that he believes serve no purpose.
