Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi and former Information Minister, has called on the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) to boycott the upcoming National Economic Dialogue scheduled for March 3-4, 2025. He argues that the NPP should abstain if the President does not reinstate the public sector workers whose employment was revoked. These are people who were employed after December 7, 2024 by the previous government who had lost the election.
This potential boycott echoes the NPP’s decision in 2014, when the party, in opposition, refused to participate in a National Economic Forum, widely known as the Senchi Consensus. The NPP at that time raised concerns over transparency and the lack of genuine bipartisan engagement, leading to their absence at the event. The party’s current stance continues to be informed by similar grievances, this time centered on the revocation of late-term appointments by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
In an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah expressed his personal view that the NPP should not participate in the economic dialogue unless the government reverses its decision on the public sector appointments. He questioned how the President could claim to be building the economy while simultaneously dismissing workers. However, it is unclear if the party will adopt his position or if they will participate in the forum.
National Economic Dialogues have historically played a crucial role in Ghana’s governance, offering a platform for consensus-building on economic policies. These fora are designed to bridge political divides and unite stakeholders in addressing pressing economic issues.
The 2014 National Economic Forum, held under the NDC government, aimed to tackle the country’s fiscal challenges by involving various stakeholders, including opposition parties, business leaders, and economists. However, the NPP’s boycott at the time weakened the forum’s bipartisan spirit.
The upcoming 2025 National Economic Dialogue faces a similar dilemma. The government, led by President John Mahama, has emphasized the importance of the event, positioning it as a critical step in addressing Ghana’s economic challenges, including debt sustainability, revenue mobilization, and investment strategies. However, the call for the reinstatement of dismissed public sector workers adds a layer of complexity to the discussions, threatening to derail the desired bi-partisan nature of the forum.
With three days left before the event, the government has yet to officially respond to Mr. Oppong Nkrumah’s remarks, and the NPP has not announced an official stance on the matter.
Meanwhile, the planning committee has announced that all preparations are in place for a productive dialogue. After the opening ceremony, stakeholders will break into sessions focusing on six thematic areas, with a summary of recommendations to be presented at the end of the event. A detailed report will later be submitted to the Finance Minister and the President to guide economic strategies in the short, medium, and long term.
