10 Things Mahama Has Promised To Do Within His First 120 Days In Office

YEN.com.gh has highlighted some of the promises John Mahama assured Ghanaians he will put into motion following his inauguration on January 7, 2025

President-elect John Dramani Mahama has been vocal about his mission to reset Ghana in his second term as the country's leader.

In his 2024 Manifesto, he accused the outgoing Nana Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party government of corrupting the nation’s moral fibre and tarnishing its reputation in the comity of nations.

Mahama stated that the country urgently needs to be saved from the prevailing socio-economic quagmire through effective leadership and transformative reforms.

He stated that while the task is daunting, he believes that Ghanaians’ collective capability, guided by the right leadership, could overcome these challenges.

“Together, we can reset our country and build the Ghana we want,” he said.

In a display of his commitment to resetting the nation, the President-elect subsequently released a 120-day social contract listing policies and actions he intends to implement or initiate within the first 120 days of office.

Read also

Mahama set to be sworn in as president at Black Star square in momentous occasion

YEN.com.gh takes a look at 10 of these social policy proposals.

Mahama's 10 promises for first 120 days

• Nominate within the first 14 days the complete list of Cabinet Ministers for parliamentary approval

The president-elect, John Mahama, promised to appoint no more than 60 ministers to help him steer the nation's affairs. He said decreasing government spending would allow him to redirect the savings towards improving Ghanaians’ lives.

He had earlier stated that some of those savings would be channelled into improving the lives of essential workers like teachers, nurses and other employees.

• Institute a government policy banning political appointees from purchasing state assets

Following the outgoing Agricultural Minister’s Labadi Beach Hotel scandal and several exposes spearheaded by the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the incoming John Mahama administration had promised to set up a policy prohibiting political appointees from purchasing state assets.

The policy is to prevent what Okudzeto had described as state capture and the embarrassment that followed the expose.

Read also

Bawumia visits Kantamanto market, makes big donation to victims of fire

• Hold a National Economic Dialogue to discuss the true state of the economy and prepare a homegrown fiscal consolidation programme to guide the budget

In a meeting with the United Nations, Mahama noted that the economic situation Ghana finds itself in is more dire than the Akufo-Addo government lets on.

He noted that he has already initiated talks with the IMF on a potential review of the debt bailout programme and is putting together a team to meet with the IMF when he is sworn in formally.

The National Dialogue would see members of Civil Society, donor partners, and key government stakeholders engage in the fiscal consolidation programme, which would ease the prevailing hardships and ensure a quicker, smoother economic recovery.

• Scrap the following draconian taxes to alleviate hardships and ease the high cost of doing business within 90 days: E-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on bet winnings, and Emissions levy

Read also

Bagbin assures Mahama he will exceed his previous performance if confirmed as Speaker of Parliament

Mahama and the NDC had described the E-levy, COVID levy, bet levy, and emissions levy as nuisance levies meant to punish Ghanaians.

He noted that by scrapping the levies, Ghanaians would enjoy some reprieve.

However, some Ghanaians have urged the incoming government to maintain the levies to prop up government revenues.

• Review taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes within 90 days

To further ease the cost of doing business and support his agricultural and agribusiness drive, Mahama stated that he would downward review and rationalise the taxes and levies on agricultural implements imported into the country.

• Commence drafting needed legal amendments and prepare for implementing the 24-Hour Economy Policy under the Office of the President

The incoming government’s flagship programme is the 24-hour economy policy. The policy is part of Mahama’s vision to reduce the employment rate and drive up productivity and export rates by ensuring factories and other service sectors work round the clock.

Read also

Akufo-Addo urges John Mahama to prioritise the completion of the Agenda 111 projects

The initiative would introduce certain incentives, including tax cuts, security, and subsidised electricity, among others, to encourage private sector players to adopt the policy. The government would also expand its 24-hour service delivery to ensure citizens can receive government services at any time.

• Convene a national consultative conference on education to build consensus on needed improvements to the sector

Mahama has, on various occasions, reiterated his resolve to review the Free SHS policy to ensure value for money and the promotion of quality over quantity in Ghana’s education sector.

• Implement the ‘No-Academic-Fee’ policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions—universities, colleges of education, nursing training institutions, etc.

To further ease the financial strain on Ghanaians who have just completed their senior high school education, Mahama promised to introduce the free tertiary programme for the first years, allowing them to save some money to sponsor the other levels of their tertiary education.

Read also

BoG Governor says DDEP was a matter of life and death, denies bank's autonomy was undermined

• Introduce the following social interventions: Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares) Fund

In addition, the Mahama administration has promised to ensure persons living with disabilities enjoy free education, even at the tertiary level. Unlike the free tertiary programme for the first years, this programme would last throughout the PLWD's stay in the tertiary institution.

Mahama Cares Fund is to ensure that all Ghanaians, whether or not they have a National Health Insurance Card, would receive free primary healthcare at any health centre.

• Institute inquiries and/or forensic audits into the outgoing Akufo-Addo administration’s scandals

Mahama has promised to commence investigations into the collapse of Indigenous Ghanaian banks and financial institutions at a supposed cost of GHS25 billion, illegal printing of money, the US$58 million National Cathedral scandal, illegal and inflated single-sourced contracts, COVID-19 expenditure scandal, PDS, Agyapa, SML, Ambulance spare parts deal, 13th African Games, Sky Train, Pwalugu Dam, Maths Sets, Galamsey Fraud, missing excavators and tricycles, Sputnik-V, BOST Scandal, and others within the first 120 days of office.

Read also

Asamoah Gyan opens up on why he joined NPP, accuses them of exploiting him

Ghanaians will be looking forward to John Mahama's fulfilling his side of the social contract following his swearing-in tomorrow.

Source: YEN.com.gh