President John Mahama has promised Ghanaians that more positive developments are on the horizon, with major economic updates scheduled for the approaching mid-year budget review in August.
“I’m sure that by the time the finance minister returns to Parliament in August for the mid-year review, we’ll have even more good news for Ghanaians,” the president remarked during his ‘Thank You Tour’ in the Upper West Region.
He said early signals of economic recovery, like as a stronger cedi and lower living costs, demonstrate that policy reforms and budget discipline are beginning to bear fruit.
“Our primary focus has been on economic stability. As a result, we presented a budget to Parliament in March of this year with the goal of significantly reducing spending and redirecting the savings to priority programs, as stated in our manifesto,” Mahama explained.
The President congratulated his economic management team, particularly the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, for their “close collaboration and coordination” in driving the economy’s recovery.
“I wish to commend the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, along with their teams, for the coordination they are displaying in this economic turnaround,” he told journalists.
Turning to infrastructure, President Mahama indicated that Cabinet will soon approve a number of significant national infrastructure projects under his administration’s flagship Big Push Programme, with roads at the top of the priority list.
“The Cabinet will soon approve priority projects under the Big Push Infrastructure Programme. Understandably, a large majority of these will be in the road sector,” he stated.
Key projects include the dualisation of the Accra-Kumasi, Accra-Takoradi, and Accra-Aflao highways, as well as extensive bridge construction throughout the country. A new motorway connecting Accra and Kumasi is also in the works, which is intended to reduce travel time between the two cities to two and a half hours.
In the Upper West Region, the President stated that highways such as the Watumu-Bolgatanga Trunk Road will receive immediate attention.
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“During the campaign, we travelled on the terrible road network that has become synonymous with the Upper West Region.” The Watumu-Bolgatanga Trunk Road is being prioritised in this region as part of the Big Push,” he stated.
President Mahama underlined the NDC’s commitment to achieve inclusive, transformative development in all regions of Ghana, with a focus on previously underserved communities.
“We are determined, under the guidance of the NDC’s 2024 manifesto, to bring transformational change to every corner of Ghana and especially to regions like the Upper West Region that have long been underdeveloped despite their huge potential,” according to him.
