The New Patriotic Party's flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has pledged to redirect government's development agenda from social interventions towards strengthening businesses and the private sector, diverging from the focus of the current Akufo-Addo administration.

Speaking at a meeting with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Accra on Wednesday, March 20, he solicited their contributions as the manifesto committee formulates proposals for the 2024 elections.

Dr Bawumia stressed the importance of adopting a transformative stance, urging the adoption of innovative measures to drive progress in the nation.

“We need to be transformational. And so, we need to be taking decisions that will transform the country. And I don’t believe going forward, we are going to be doing the same things. I want us to do new things. I want us to do things we have not done before.

“In our first couple of terms in office, we have focused as a government a lot more on social interventions. But now I want us to move the focus to business and the private sector.”

The Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry in response called on Dr. Bawumia to contemplate several actions, including abolishing specific taxes like the COVID-19 levy, minimizing government competition with businesses for loans from local banks, and tackling inconsistent power supply problems.

Dr. Clement Osei Amoako, President of the Chamber, underscored the significance of decreasing the budget deficit to mitigate unnecessary competition with the private sector for financial resources.

“There should be a significant reduction in budget deficit to prevent competition with the private sector for funds.

"Given the prevailing economic condition and tight monetary policies, further attempts to compete with the private sector for funds in the domestic money market will introduce significant distortion in our economy.