Economist Prof Peter Quartey has observed that the chronic underfunding of research is the primary reason behind Ghana’s frequent policy U‑turns and failed reforms.
The Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, says some policies of successive governments, although well-intended, hit a roadblock due to insufficient research to underpine them.
In his estimation, governments treat research as an afterthought rather than a bedrock of sound policymaking.
Citing examples to buttress his point, the economist named the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy), which became one of Ghana’s most controversial levies. Although it has been repealed, Prof. Quartey maintains that the failure of the promising tax policy was a result of a lack of proper research.
Speaking at an ISSER event in Accra, the economist stated that, “E-levy is a typical case where if we’ve done background research and everything, I’m sure, would have implemented e-levy in a better way. There are other tax handles that the government introduces and then reverses because it didn’t take research seriously. But if we do, that will be minimised.”
The Funding Gap
Prof. Peter Quartey diagnosed that the underlying factor for this research deficit is funding. To him, governments are not willing to commit resources to undertake research that will inform their policy decisions.
Drawing on his experience at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Prof. Quartey challenged ministers of Agriculture to scrutinize their budget lines to ascertain funds committed to research.
He lamented that funds for research are very little or virtually non-existent. This glaring omission forces policymakers to commission studies they cannot afford, or worse, to proceed blindly.
Without dedicated funding, evidence‑based planning becomes impossible, and policy decisions default to guesswork and political expediency.
“The other challenge we face with policy uptake is also to do with who funds the research. Most often, the policy makers want the research, but are not prepared to fund. Look at our budget statements and tell me which budget line says research. Last time I was at the FAO in Rome, and the agriculture ministers were there, including our own agri-minister, and I challenged them. I said, when you go back, look at your budget. Look at how much you are assigned to research, negligible or non-existent,” he narrated.
Africa Lags in Global Research
The economist stressed that Ghana’s plight mirrors a continental trend: Africa accounts for just 1.3% of global research expenditure. This stark imbalance, he warned, locks the region into a cycle of reactive policymaking and stunts long‑term development.
From the reversal of the E‑levy to flip‑flopping on agricultural subsidies, Prof. Quartey pointed out that hasty policy rollouts without rigorous pilot studies lead to public backlash, eroded trust, and wasted resources.
For instance, each time a policy is withdrawn, the country loses money and policy credibility. This requires that the country shifts toward pre‑implementation feasibility studies, stakeholder consultations, and clear research mandates.
A Call for Structural Change
To break this cycle, some concerned experts have earlier proposed the establishment of a statutory research fund, financed by a small, ring‑fenced percentage of every ministry’s budget.
Proponents believe that such a fund would guarantee that commissioners can afford independent studies before policy decisions are made.
