President John Dramani Mahama has launched a CEO-Government Compact 2026, a framework designed to strengthen public-private partnerships, ensure mutual accountability, and track measurable impacts on national growth.
The President has subsequently tasked the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, to present the framework to the Attorney General for immediate review to inform the necessary steps for action.
Speaking at the 10th Ghana CEO Summit in Accra, the President called for deeper collaboration between the government and the private sector to drive Ghana’s economic transformation.
“I see the Ghana CEO Summit as a strategic platform where ideas are shaped, and confidence between government and the private sector is built,” he explained.
The President’s speech focused largely on structural reforms, economic resilience, and the need to scale up local industrial capacity to capture advantages in continental trade.
Citing ongoing reforms backed by strict fiscal discipline, President Mahama said the government’s decision to voluntarily transition to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) non-financial Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI), after successfully exiting the bailout program, demonstrates a full commitment to ensuring policy credibility, consolidating economic gains, and further boosting investor confidence.
“When businesses thrive, the country prospers. Captains of industry and businesses can, therefore, rest assured that the current stability we are enjoying is not a fluke; it will be sustained into the future,” he emphasised.
He acknowledged the bureaucratic bottlenecks within the public sector, which continue to frustrate businesses and investors. The President, who plans to further engage business leaders on the Compact following the Attorney General’s review, assured attendees that the government remains responsive and will address those challenges using private-sector input.
“A serious investor should not receive conflicting signals from agencies of the same state,” he noted, adding that there must be a regime of clear procedures, reduced duplication, transparent rules, and faster service delivery to encourage businesses to expand operations, hire more staff, and compete effectively.
President Mahama said there is a need for economic diversification, the building of a resilient and competitive industrial sector, and the harnessing of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies for economic growth.
He also outlined his government’s priorities, which include massive infrastructure development to open the economy under the “Big Push” programme, investment in the energy and communications sectors, the 24-hour economy initiative, the Accelerated Export Agenda, modernising agriculture, promoting value addition for export, and improving rural livelihoods.
“Ghanaians expect leadership that responds to crises with urgency and trust,” he noted, explaining that the government needs the private sector to complement its efforts and leverage platforms created by regional bodies to promote trade.
The event, which brought together hundreds of business leaders, policymakers, and corporate executives, also saw President Mahama appointed as the Chief Patron of the Ghana CEO Summit.