President John Mahama on Monday launched the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for Ghana’s heads of missions. 

The KPIs, which are the first in Ghana’s history, seek to ensure that the heads of mission are sent out with a measurable performance framework to assist the President in achieving his Reset Vision for Ghana. 

The 500 KPIs include securing scholarships and facilitating exchange programmes with foreign institutions to enhance Ghana’s human capital, and driving a minimum 10 per cent annual increase in tourists’ arrivals to Ghana to create jobs and boost foreign exchange reserves. 

Others are maintaining strict adherence to financial regulations and procurement laws across all missions and strengthening Ghana’s security interests by improving intelligence sharing and facilitating collaboration with foreign security agencies. 

It also includes the inauguration or reactivation Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) with Ghana’s key partners and pursuing the strategic transition from rent to infrastructure development to save Ghana millions of dollars in rent costs. 

President Mahama was assisted by Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang and Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru, the Ghana Mantse, to perform the launch of the KPIs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra. 

The President, in a keynote address, said Ghana’s mission had evolved into paths of economic engagement, facilitating trade, attracting investments, and promoting innovation. 

He, therefore, charged the heads of missions to promote investments in Ghana’s priority sectors, industrialisation, renewable energy, digital services, agro-processing, infrastructure, and tourism.  

“I charge you to expand our export markets, especially for value-added goods such as processed food, shea butter, textiles, crafts, and digital services,” he said. 

“I charge you to move the life of our diaspora not only as remittance of money, but also as investors, innovators, and partners in Ghana’s development. 

He reiterated that the success of the heads of missions was going to be measured not by ceremony or protocol, but by the scale of investment, trade, and opportunities they help secure for the people of Ghana. 

President Mahama noted that the Reset Agenda of the Government was also about governance, rebuilding public trust through transparency and accountability. 

Adding that as the nation’s representatives abroad, the heads of missions must embody these values. 

President Mahama said the main missions must be managed with integrity, efficiency, and professionalism.  

“Our citizens abroad must experience fairness and respect, for our diplomacy’s credibility is inseparable from the credibility of our governments.” 

President Mahama said Ghana’s diplomacy must continue to stand firmly in Pan-Africanism, stating that at ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations, Ghana must remain a principled voice for justice, fairness, and peace in the world. 

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Ghana currently has 75 diplomatic missions, which consist of 13 high commissions, 48 embassies and 14 consulates. 

He said President Mahama had instructed the Foreign Ministry to establish new consulates in Singapore, Dublin in Ireland, Massachusetts in the United States, and Lisbon in Portugal. 

He said the ratio of ambassadors was 45 per cent to 55 per cent in favour of non-career ambassadors, which he described as very impressive. 

That is 34 non-career ambassadors and 28 career ambassadors. 

Touching on approvals for the new heads of missions in their assigned countries, Mr Ablakwa said so far, they had received a hundred per cent confirmation of the new ambassadors. 

Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru, the Ga Mantse, who chaired the function, urged the new envoys to ensure that in all they would do, they sought to promote Ghanaian products such as textiles, traditional symbols, food products, clothing and tourism. 

He also advised them not to take hasty decisions but rather to always ensure that they follow due processes.