IMANI Africa’s Vice President, Kofi Bentil, has weighed in on the just-ended National Economic Dialogue, expressing both appreciation for the discussions and frustration over Ghana’s repeated cycle of policy talks without action.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Bentil acknowledged the importance of engaging diverse perspectives in shaping national policies.
“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 said.
However, while he commended the dialogue, he also questioned its effectiveness, pointing out that Ghana has held numerous such discussions in the past, yet little has changed.
“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,” he stated.
Bentil’s concerns reflect a broader frustration among Ghanaians who have witnessed multiple economic dialogues, conferences, and summits that produce recommendations but fail to translate into tangible progress.
Highlighting what he believes is the core issue, Bentil did not hold back in his criticism of the nation’s approach to economic challenges.
“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.
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