The policies of the two leading parties, the National Democratic Congress and New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been described as failing to deliver impactful policies to tackle entrepreneurship and the unemployment challenges in the country, a few days before the crucial 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
This was revealed in a Public Policy Value Rating research conducted on the manifestos of the two parties by the Africa Center for Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment (ACEYE), launched in Accra.
The research sought to ascertain the link between the electorates’ aspirations, expectations, priorities, and what the two parties promised.
The findings revealed that the electorates valued and rated the economic and financial policies of the two parties very highly. While the NPP scored 91.4% for the economic policies, the NDC also scored 88.6% signifying that Ghanaians consider economic and financial policies a priority area ahead of the elections.
However, the policies fell short in terms of creating an enabling entrepreneurship environment and propelling job creation, with both parties scoring low on the Entrepreneurship and Employment index.
This, according to the report, signifies that the policies outlined were not considered to be sufficient to meet the entrepreneurship and employment aspirations of Ghanaians, as both parties scored 45.7% on the index.
“Entrepreneurship and employment policies by the NPP achieved a value score of 45.7%, signalling moderate ambition in tackling unemployment. This indicates a lower perceived impact compared to other sectors. Implementation challenges might arise because a lack of a clear vision makes it difficult to align actions toward achieving policy goals,” parts of the report cited by The High Street Journal read.
Regarding the NDC, the report stated that “With a moderate value score of 45.7%, the NDC’s entrepreneurship and employment policies aim to tackle key challenges in this sector. Vision Clarity (13.9%) is particularly low, indicating a lack of clear strategic direction, which could hinder stakeholders’ understanding and alignment with the policies.”
Moreover, the policies were found to be saddled with the issue of inclusivity. That is, ensuring that marginalized groups such as women, youth, and rural communities can actively participate in economic activities.
Unfortunately, the inclusiveness score for entrepreneurship policies stood at a very poor rate of 28.6% for the NDC and even lower for the NPP, signalling that these policies do not adequately address Ghana’s diverse demographic needs.
Entrepreneurship and employment policies, many consider to be the cornerstone of Ghana’s economic recovery and growth, particularly as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are key drivers of job creation. Yet, the report revealed that these policies not only lacked a clear vision but also failed to maximize resource utilization.
