A senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Business School, Dr Seyram Kawor, has praised President John Mahama’s National Economic Dialogue initiative as a positive and commendable step.
Speaking on Joy News’ AM Show, Dr Kawor stated that the dialogue was both timely and necessary. “The National Economic Dialogue on the economy is a good thing,” he said.
He contrasted this with the E-Levy rollout, highlighting how poor timing and communication had created public confusion.
“With the E-Levy implementation, you’ll recall it was introduced before the town hall meetings. Many were surprised that a tax had already been passed into law and announced in the budget – only for the government to subsequently try to explain and gain public acceptance,” he explained.
In contrast, he emphasised that the National Economic Dialogue preceded the budget reading, allowing for proper engagement.
“The National Economic Dialogue took place before the budget reading,” he noted. “When you examine the committee’s composition and the range of participants invited, it’s truly impressive.”
Dr Kawor shared a personal anecdote illustrating the dialogue’s quality: “I met someone who had been instrumental in economic reforms but had been absent from government work. He specifically returned from the UK to participate.”
He pointed to tangible outcomes visible in the 2024 budget. “The dialogue’s impact is clear in the outlined programmes. It confirmed the cancellation of certain taxes and initiated reviews of our tax systems, particularly VAT restructuring.”
The economist explained this allowed the Finance Minister to clarify government plans: “While complete VAT cancellation isn’t feasible, they’re collaborating with the IMF and other partners to revitalise the system.”
Many budget measures, including tax cancellations and policy directions, stemmed directly from the dialogue, Dr Kawor noted. “The sanitary pads initiative and other programmes were also validated through this process.”
Regarding the proposed 24-hour economy, Dr Kawor observed that its measured implementation pace reflected dialogue recommendations.
“We’re not seeing rushed implementation precisely because of the dialogue’s outcomes,” He added.
He concluded emphatically, “The National Economic Dialogue represents excellent progress for our nation.”
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