The Africa Centre for Entrepreneurship & Youth Empowerment (ACEYE) has observed the ideological traditions of Ghana’s major political parties, and their respective manifestoes and policies do not agree.

“Philosophically, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) believes in capitalism, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) believes in socialism,” Richmond Ansah said.

“But in practice – in terms of what is presented in manifestoes, they don’t go along that line,” he, however, observed.

On his part, Emmanuel Acquah said, “To be honest, I think both political parties suffer from ideological mayhem where those who lean [towards] the conservative line, in reality, come [into power] and do the socialist stuff.”

Founders of the Africa Centre for Entrepreneurship & Youth Empowerment (ACEYE), the two entrepreneurs spoke on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at the ACEYE headquarters, Dome, Accra, during the a Public Policy Value Rating presser.

NPP

Acquah underlined the first NPP government in Ghana’s fourth republic, led by John Agyekum Kufour, demonstrated harmony between the party’s long-held capitalist beliefs and manifesto promises and policies. Meanwhile, the second and current NPP administration led by President Nana Akufo-Addo has been unusually socialist in practice.

“I think the Kufour administration was very consistent. When you picked their manifesto you could see the conservative things in there. But I’m not sure I can say same for the current [NPP] administration as it stands now with all these socialist interventions,” he said.

Acquah clarified he was not saying Kufour’s administration was the best ever in Ghana.

“Far from that,” he noted, adding, however, there was not much “interventionism” during that era from the state.

He noted, “Just from mere observation, you realise that during the Kufuor administration, you’d see loads of indigenous banks but that sprung up. You’d also see financial institutions going after entrepreneurs to offer them loans. So you could see some growth when it comes to entrepreneurship and not so much about state interventions.”

NDC

On the other hand, he said, “The erstwhile NDC administration led by Mahama was doing loads of things that were leaning a bit towards the free market economy.”

He commended late former President John Atta Mills for “doing something quite okay” concerning taxation.

Ultimately, however, Emmanuel Acquah was “not sure” which of the two parties of Ghana’s political duopoly was a true champion of entrepreneurial freedom.

“But what we’re saying is these two have what it takes champion entrepreneurial freedom provided there’s a political will,” he emphasised. “It has to start from somewhere. As we all know everything rises and falls with leadership.”

Furthermore, he highlighted policies were judged not by their intentions but by their outcomes.