Former President John Mahama has assured Ghanaians of quality governance when the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government takes over the management of the country.

The NDC flagbearer for election 2024 said his government will work assiduously to ease the burden of taxes imposed on Ghanaian businesses by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has deprived the country of its "envious position as one of Africa's leading destinations for investment."

In his message to celebrate Ghanaian youth on International Youth Day on Saturday, August 12, Mr Mahama expressed concern about the high rate of youth unemployment in the country.

According to him, the youth are the driving force of positive change and key agents of development throughout the nation's history.

He explained that to ensure a brighter future, there is a need to empower the youth with skills, create jobs and support them to transform the country and Africa as a whole.

"Rising unemployment, increasing cost of living, and lack of opportunities have left many young people feeling hopeless and are testing their sense of patriotism to the limit.

"For me, John Dramani Mahama, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), we are committed to urgently turning this situation around by paving the way for nurturing a generation of skilled youth," he said.

"A new NDC administration will work urgently to equip our youth with the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future. We will introduce a 24-hour economy with incentives and tax breaks for manufacturers who will run extra shifts to create more room for employment."

The former president added that his administration will boost the potential of agriculture and agribusiness and provide critical social and IT infrastructure to stimulate economic growth.

"Our policy priorities will imbue our young people with the “knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society” — the critical Green Skills our youth need to advance a sustainable world," the NDC flagbearer stated.

Mr Mahama said that he has the interest of Ghanaians at heart, noting that by working together, "we will build the Ghana we want and put the smiles back on the faces of our young people."