Introduction
Ghana is a proud and successful democracy. However, we also face serious challenges that threaten our stability and progress. We urgently need to tackle corruption, strengthen our institutions, stabilize our economy, and reduce social inequalities.
To do that, we need a Compact for Ghana’s Political and Economic Transformation. The Ghana Compact is a platform where we can discuss and agree on the vision and goals for our country’s development in the next three decades. The Compact will help us seize four critical opportunities:
- Political and constitutional reforms to make our leaders more accountable, end extreme political divisions, and put issues that matter at the heart of our elections.
- Fiscally responsible policies to raise more money for our development and avoid relying on external loans and aid.
- A long-term economic transformation vision so we can keep working on our goals and projects, no matter who is in charge of the government.
- Long-term goals to enhance human well-being by closing gender gaps, improving health and education, supporting small businesses and jobs, and preparing for climate change.
What has the Compact achieved so far?
- Understanding the issues: ACET teamed up with seven of the leading Ghanaian policy institutes to analyze Ghana’s critical challenges and produced technical papers covering some of the most pressing policy issues: national development planning, development financing, youth education and skills, gender equality, private sector development, health, and climate change.
- Convening consultations: A broad range of experts, policymakers, and citizens came together and discussed the challenges, shared knowledge, and agreed on priorities and recommendations based on these technical papers.
- Building partnerships and support: Key institutions, bodies, and organizations have offered support for the Compact. These include: the Council of State, the Speaker and the majority and minority leadership of Parliament, the Association of Ghana Industries, the Trade Union Council, the Peace Council, the National Center for Civic Education, the Standing Committee of the National House of Chiefs, religious leaders, civil society groups, academia, and media personalities.
The Compact process is crucial, because it ensures buy-in through a wide consultation of all people.
— Hon David Quaye Annang, NDPC
Interparty Dialogues
We met with leaders of the two leading political parties–the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as well as leaders of five minority parties to discuss the objectives of the Ghana Compact and three specific issues underpinning it—making elections and party manifestos issues-oriented, constitutional reforms and medium and long-term development planning. All the political party representatives expressed strong support for the Compact and committed to future interparty dialogues.
National Values and Mindset Change
Strong national values are critical for building the future we want. To this end, we brought eminent Ghanaians together to determine the values such as patriotism, hard work, service, integrity, and loyalty that should underpin the Compact. This was followed by a Twitter spaces conversation to garner citizens’ opinions of the values that should define us as a nation. The National Center for Civic Education, which has the constitutional mandate for such a task, has offered its collaboration in framing values and assisting with the national consultations and civic education process on values.
We need a revolution of the heart and mind. Without renewal, nothing changes. We need education and not just schooling, this requires a transformation of the head, hands, and hearts.
— Yaw Perbi, CEO HuD Group
What happens now?
- Sparking a civic movement: We need your support and input for the Compact. We will use various media platforms and channels to reach out to you and hear your opinions. You can join us in virtual discussions, community engagements, radio and TV interviews, live stream events, opinion pieces and articles, and on-the-ground interviews. We want to make sure that the Compact reflects your will and aspirations.
- National Convention: We will use your feedback from the technical consultations and citizen engagements to draft the Ghana Compact, which will be presented at the National Convention in 2024. The convention will bring together individuals and representatives from all the groups that have been involved in the Compact’s development. We will discuss and reach a consensus on the Compact’s content.
- The final Compact: The Compact will spell out our vision and goals for Ghana’s future. It will also highlight the national values needed to ensure the future we want. It will be a social contract between us and our government, no matter who is in power. And it will stress our responsibilities as citizens in bringing about that future we want.