Our politics too polarised for real national development – Dr K.Y. Amoako at National Economic Dialogue

Ghana’s economic progress is being hampered by deep political divisions between the two major parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr K.Y. Amoako, President of the Africa Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), has warned.

Delivering his address at the National Economic Dialogue (NED) 2025 on Monday, March 3, 2025, Dr Amoako said frequent changes in government had disrupted policy continuity, resulting in abandoned projects, wasted resources, and stalled economic growth.

“Our peaceful transitions of power are commendable, but they are not anchored in a long-term, widely shared vision for economic progress,” he stated. “Instead, they have led to fragmented development efforts and deep political divisions.”

Mr Amoako noted that while Ghana is widely regarded as a model of democracy in Africa, the economic cost of political rivalry has been severe.

Successive governments, he said, have often reversed or neglected policies introduced by their predecessors, creating uncertainty and slowing national development.

He urged both the ruling government and the opposition to put national interest above party considerations, stressing that long-term economic planning should not be subject to electoral cycles.

“Economic transformation is not a four-year project; it requires sustained effort over decades,” he said.

“We need to move beyond short-term political priorities and build a shared national vision.”

Mr Amoako also called for stronger accountability measures to ensure that governments follow through with development plans regardless of political transitions.

To address the problem, he proposed the creation of a bipartisan Economic Transformation Council to oversee long-term economic policies and shield them from political interference.

“In many successful economies, strategic national policies are protected from partisan politics. Ghana must take bold steps to institutionalise economic planning beyond electoral cycles,” he said.

He further called for greater involvement of civil society, academia, and the private sector in shaping economic policies, arguing that economic progress should not be left solely to politicians.