Ghana’s New Leader Faces High Public Expectations for Jobs and Tax Reform

Following his decisive win in Saturday’s election, Ghana’s former President John Mahama is anticipated to face significant demands to fulfill voter expectations. He returned to leadership after an eight-year period out of office, executing what political analyst Nansata Yakubu characterized as a “masterclass” in his campaign efforts. Mahama secured victory over Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia with 56.6% of the votes compared to 41.6%, marking the largest winning margin for a candidate in 24 years. However, voter participation was reduced compared to the 2020 election, particularly in key regions traditionally supporting Bawumia’s New Patriotic Party (NPP). This indicates that some residents in these areas, dissatisfied with the government’s performance, opted not to vote. Amid celebrations of Mahama’s triumph, Belinda Amuzu, a teacher from Tamale, a northern city and a strong base for Mahama, articulated the collective aspirations. She informed the BBC, “I’m expecting the new government to change the economy, so that the hardship will come down. He should also prosecute corrupt officials so that it will be a lesson to others.” The term “The hardship” has gained widespread use in Ghana since the economy reached its lowest point in 2022. This downturn triggered a cost-of-living crisis, severely damaging Bawumia’s image as an “economic whizz-kid” and ultimately contributing to his loss against Mahama. Ghanaian economist Prof Godfred Bokpin conveyed to the BBC that the incoming government faces immense challenges. He stated, “What Ghana needs right now is credible leadership, lean government and efficiency in public service delivery. Without that, there cannot be a future.” Mahama has committed to reducing the cabinet’s size from over 80 members to approximately 60. Nevertheless, Prof Bokpin contended that it ought to be even more compact, while political analyst Dr Kwame Asah-Asante emphasized that appointments should prioritize merit over allegiance. Mahama will be joined by former Education Minister Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who is poised to become Ghana’s inaugural female vice-president upon the new government’s assumption of power next month. Dr Yakubu asserted that Opoku-Agyemang’s selection was not an act of “tokenism” and that she is not a person who could be “manipulated”. She informed the BBC Focus on Africa podcast, “We have a fantastic first female vice-president in Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.” Mahama completed his initial four-year presidential term after his 2012 victory but was unsuccessful in his 2016 re-election campaign, which saw Nana Akufo-Addo ascend to power with Bawumia as his running-mate. Dr Yakubu noted that Mahama’s 2016 campaign highlighted his achievements in constructing roads, schools, and hospitals, yet voters dismissed him, adopting the slogan: “We don’t eat infrastructure.” However, she explained that during the Covid pandemic, citizens began to value the infrastructure his administration had developed, particularly hospitals. This factor, combined with the severe economic crisis experienced under the outgoing government, which necessitated a $3bn (£2.4bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), contributed to Mahama’s re-election, Dr Yakubu further stated. Dr Yakubu informed the BBC that Mahama is now anticipated to deliver on his campaign pledge to generate employment, aiming to decrease the unemployment rate of nearly 15%, and to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis by eliminating certain taxes, referred to by Ghanaians as “nuisance taxes.” Mahama has committed to establishing a “24-hour economy” in Ghana by fostering night-time job opportunities across both public and private sectors. He stated his intention to offer tax incentives to businesses operating at night and to lower their electricity costs. Nevertheless, his detractors express skepticism, recalling that Ghana faced its most severe electricity shortage during his initial term, with power outages so frequent that Mahama humorously referred to himself as “Mr Dumsor”—where “dum” signifies “off” and “sor” means “on” in the indigenous Twi language. He has vowed to eliminate multiple taxes, such as the widely criticized electronic levy on mobile transactions and the tax on carbon emissions from petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. Prof Bokpin expressed skepticism regarding the Mahama administration’s capacity to deliver on its pledges. He remarked, “They have not done the cost-benefit analysis. There’s no budgetary space to translate those promises into actuals.” However, Mahama remains convinced he will refute his critics, asserting his plan to renegotiate the terms of the IMF loan to allocate funds for “social intervention programmes” in a nation where 7.3 million individuals experience poverty. Prior to the election, Mahama informed the BBC in an interview that the IMF sought “a certain balance” in governmental financial management. He explained, “If you’re able to cut expenditure, and you’re able to increase revenue and increase non-tax revenue coming in, you’ll be able to create a balance.” Dr Asah-Asante commented that Mahama’s prior experience as president would be advantageous in guiding Ghana through challenging times. The analyst further stated, “Of course, he is likely to encounter difficulties, but he has what it takes to turn things around.” Beyond economic concerns, corruption stands as a major challenge for Ghana, though not all observers are persuaded that Mahama can effectively combat this problem. Mahama’s prior tenure in government, serving as both vice-president and president, was marked by accusations of corruption, despite his persistent denials of any misconduct. In 2020, a UK court determined that the aerospace company Airbus had employed bribes to obtain military aircraft contracts with Ghana between 2009 and 2015. Subsequently, an inquiry was launched in Ghana, but