President Mahama has announced plans to open Ghana’s industrial water supply sector to private participation.

He described reliable water access as critical to accelerating industrialisation.

Speaking during the Presidential Dialogue with the Private Sector, he said water supply constraints remain a major barrier to manufacturing growth.

“The same applies to water supply for manufacturing. We must reform the water sector and include private sector participation in the supply of industrial water,” he stated.

The President said industrial expansion cannot occur without dependable infrastructure, including energy and water systems tailored to the needs of factories and industrial enclaves.

He explained that private sector participation would help improve efficiency, increase investment in infrastructure, and ensure reliable supply to support industrial operations.

President Mahama linked the water sector reforms to broader structural changes aimed at supporting manufacturing expansion, job creation, and export competitiveness.

He also highlighted financing constraints facing industrial businesses, noting that while interest rates have declined from peaks of about 38 percent, current rates of 18 to 20 percent remain too high to support rapid industrial growth.

To address this, the government plans to establish dedicated financing windows, expand credit guarantees, and develop long-term capital market instruments to support industrial expansion.

The President said infrastructure reforms—including water supply modernisation—would play a foundational role in Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda.