Mahama’s pragmatic policy that will benefit the business community

As the 2024 general election draws closer, all political parties and their flagbearers have been making series of promises. The flagbearers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) former president John Dramani Mahama and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia respectively have all been making promises in a bid to win the confidence of the masses.

Former President John Mahama has announced that, the next NDC government will enter into an agreement some five selected Banks to provide loan facilities to importers who may be struggling to raise funds to clear their containers from the various ports. This is the most practical and pragmatic policy that will cushion the business community.

In the past eight years, many importers have gone out of business due to the excessive and unassuming import levy being imposed on them by the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government. This has led to most the few surviving importers to divert their goods to Togo and bring them into the country by road. The former president made these observations during his well-attended mini rally in the Kumasi metropolis in the Ashanti Region on Sunday 1st December 2024.

The NDC flagbearer has been making realistic and achievable promises, the moderate and realistic nature of his promises have made them believable, unlike the NPP’s flagbearer who is excessive extravagant in his promises. It is clear that, the NDC flagbearer means his words as compared to his NPP counterpart.

There is a saying that “promise is a comfort to a fool”, this implies that, it's very easy to make promises but we probably can't count on the other person to make good on the promises because the person has broken such promises before. Therefore all promises especially those made by politicians must be subjected to microscopic scrutiny.

After critically analysing the promises of both the front runners, one thing is glaring and explicit, the NDC flagbearer is measured in his promises, he is making specific, realistic and achievable promises. Mr. Mahama with his experience as a former president is being cautious with his commitments, the restrains in his commitments is an indication that he is assured of fulfilling them.

One thing that made the NDC and its flagbearer’s promises outstanding and realistic is that they engaged with majority of Ghanaians i.e. the academics, teachers, traders, farmers, students, drivers, traditional leaders, religious bodies, civil servants, civil service organisations, the business community etc. to understand their needs before making promises, the party is therefore re-echoing the views of the masses. Mr. Mahama is being honest and upright with Ghanaians in his promises.

As a former president, there is no reason to doubt his ability to cut down the number of ministers to sixty, abolishing the ex-gratia will not be a tedious task, the implementation of the 24-Hour economy will not be a difficult task for someone with his level of experience and expertise.

Looking at the former president’s record in infrastructure, there is no reason to doubt his resolve and ability to build six new universities in each of the newly created regions as he promised. Former president Mahama will definitely abolish the E-Levy as well as the Covid-Levy if elected. Moreover, the women Development Bank promised by John Mahama is a realistic and feasible promise which will enhance the lives of the Ghanaian women.

The promises made by the NDC flagbearer are specific, realistic and can be measured within a specific period of time. Mr. Mahama is being measured in his promises, his promises are not born out of desperation or frustration, and I think it is important Ghanaians give the former president another opportunity to fulfil his mission and vision for the country as all other presidents since 1992 apart from the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

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