Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
The flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced that an NPP government under his leadership will implement a “Buy Ghana First” policy to stimulate local economic growth.
Speaking at the launch of the NPP’s manifesto, Dr. Bawumia emphasised the need to prioritise local goods and services in government procurement.
“We will use the government’s purchasing power to stimulate industrial expansion and business growth, which will help create jobs,” he stated.
The “Buy Ghana First” policy aims to ensure that all goods and services procured by the public sector are first sourced from local producers.
According to him, this move will boost domestic demand, increase production, and create jobs.
Dr. Bawumia explained that the policy will be backed by legislation to ensure its effective implementation.
“We will roll out a ‘Buy Ghana First’ policy under which all goods and services procured by the public sector will first be filled by goods and services produced locally,” he said.
He indicated that the NPP believes that this policy will help to stimulate local economic growth, create jobs, increase domestic demand, boost production, and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
World-Class Digital Economy
Dr. Bawumia noted that the ambitious plan of the NPP includes a move to accelerate Ghana’s growth into a world-class digital economy, making it the digital hub of Africa.
He announced that the NPP would implement policies, competitive incentives, and investments to drive this transformation.
He said the key initiatives would include establishing a national robotics, engineering, and AI lab, providing venture funding and grant support for Ghanaian start-ups, creating “live lab” opportunities for start-ups to test their ideas, expanding the regulatory sandbox for Tintechs, and establishing a Fintech Fund with US$100 million seed capital.
The rest include achieving cross-border mobile money interoperability, implementing Digital Residency and Digital Nomad Visa schemes, appointing a Digital Ambassador to promote Ghanaian digital talent and products, and increasing internet penetration to over 90%.
He said the NPP aims to position Ghana as a leader in the digital economy, creating jobs, driving innovation, and supporting the growth of Ghanaian high-tech businesses.
This vision aligns with the party’s commitment to leveraging technology to drive economic growth and improve lives.
“Internet Penetration has increased from 32% in 2016 to 70% in 2024,” he pointed out.
He disclosed that the government would implement comprehensive data interoperability across government platforms to enhance transparency and streamline services, create a marketplace to streamline public sector procurement, abolish E-Levy, and ensure holders of GhanaCard are not required to fill out separate forms to apply for passports.
The government will work with industry players to make more spectrum available to operators at affordable prices, including 5G, and eliminate import duties on mobile phones until manufacturing capacity is established in Ghana.
By Ernest Kofi Adu
