Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil has commended President John Dramani Mahama as he chalks his first term in office.
He however cautioned that Ghana’s recent economic improvements, while positive, remain limited and that the real challenges lie ahead.
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints, Bentil described the change in the economy as “therapeutic,” even if the government had taken no action.
“Even if this government did nothing, the change itself was therapeutic. The real challenge is what happens in the next three years,” he said.
Bentil noted that although the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (Goldbod) has achieved results, its impact on the cedi has been modest.
“Goldbod has done something, but the effect on the Cedi is less than 10 per cent… globally, the dollar has depreciated,” he explained. “It is not surprising; the challenges are what happen in the next three years.”
Highlighting Ghana’s dependence on gold exports, Bentil added, “Because Ghana’s exports are so dominated by gold, and exports are an important factor in exchange rate movements, we must bear in mind that gold prices rose over 70 per cent in 2025 alone.”
He also flagged concerns over budget allocations. “Its undisbursed 2025 budget allocation of US$279 million would last less than one year,” Bentil said.
