I’d have preferred a more focused approach to National Economic Dialogue says IMANI Africa’s Vice President

IMANI Africa’s Vice President, Kofi Bentil, has called for a more structured and solution-driven approach to National Economic Dialogue.

He expressed concerns that the just-ended event could become yet another talk shop without concrete outcomes if not steered right.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Bentil acknowledged the importance of dialogue and inclusivity in shaping economic policy but emphasized that such discussions must be highly focused to yield meaningful results.

“It is always good to discuss issues, to dialogue, to widen the net, and bring ideas beyond just your political party. So to that extent, it is a very useful exercise. It helps avoid the echo chamber effect,” he stated on Saturday, March 8.

However, he questioned whether the dialogue had been maximised to produce tangible solutions, pointing out that Ghana has held several such forums in the past with little to show for them.

“We’ve been through too many of these. What did we get from them? Why would this be different? I am happy that we had this discussion, but I just wish we had optimised it and done more,” Bentil said.

He stressed the need for bold decision-making and action-oriented discussions, arguing that Ghana’s economic challenges are well known, and so are the solutions, but implementation remains a major hurdle.

“We know our problems. We know the solutions. But it’s a Ghanaian syndrome—we don’t want to pay the price. We don’t want to do the difficult things that will solve the problems, but we want the outcomes of those things. It will never work,” he remarked.

Mr Bentil urged leaders to move beyond broad discussions and focus on executing tough but necessary economic reforms, adding that without decisive action, Ghana will continue to face the same challenges despite repeated dialogues.