President John Dramani Mahama on May 20 inaugurated the 8th National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), tasking the body with creating a unified long-term national development plan that transcends political cycles.

President Mahama has bemoaned the country's continuous reliance on its primary commodities without exploring diversification and value addition.

“Nearly 70 years after independence, our economy continues to rely heavily on a narrow range of primary commodities, with limited diversification and value addition,” President Mahama stated.

“This reality reflects the persistence of structural constraints that continue to hold us back—proof that, in many respects, we remain ‘prisoners of our past.'

In a Facebook post, the president further wrote: "Ghanaians deserve a stable and predictable future. Drawing inspiration from Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah's vision, we must address our structural challenges and diversify our economy."

He urged the NDPC, now chaired by Dr Nii Moi Thompson, who led the development of the 40-Year National Development Plan in 2017, to consolidate these efforts into a single, coherent plan.

“This must be done in close collaboration with Parliament and the people’s representatives,” President Mahama stressed, emphasising the importance of inclusivity and a broad national consensus.

President Mahama highlighted the significance of the NDPC’s work, stressing that its collaboration with the government in preparing the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies, due to be presented to Parliament within two years.

“This Programme will reflect not only the vision and policy priorities of this government but also the collective aspirations of the Ghanaian people,” the President stated.

He further clarified that this Coordinated Programme would form the foundation for the next medium-term national development policy framework, guiding the operations of government ministries, departments, agencies, and local assemblies for the next four years.

President Mahama expressed his confidence in the NDPC's expertise, and urged "them to work together to deliver a transformative plan for Ghana's future."

The President highlighted the existence of multiple long-term development frameworks, including the Ghana Beyond Aid Charter, the Ghana@100 Long-term Development Framework, and the Vision 2057 Perspective Framework.

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in the 2024 trade report reported that Ghana reported exports worth GHC294.9 billion.

The country recorded GHC44.7 billion trade surplus due to an import value of GHC250.2 billion.

Ghana's top commodities were gold, petroleum, oils, cocoa, and cocoa products.