Dr. Ishmael Yamson, Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, has commended President John Dramani Mahama’s government for its efforts in stabilising Ghana’s economy, describing the first year in office as “simply spectacular.”
He made the remarks as the keynote speaker at the Annual New Year School and Conference held at the University of Ghana on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
The three-day event brings together policymakers, academics, business leaders, and stakeholders to discuss strategies for national development. This year’s theme is “Building the Ghana We Want Together for Sustainable Development.”
Speaking on the theme, Dr. Yamson praised the government for key macroeconomic improvements, particularly the stabilization of the cedi.
“The cedi at the close of 2024 was GHS15.11, at the close of 2025, it was GHS10.65. We must give credit to the government. Mr. President, your government has done spectacularly well. Your first year has been simply spectacular,” he said.
However, Dr. Yamson warned that while stabilisation has been achieved, deeper challenges remain.
What we are seeing is stabilisation. Feeding the paws of the street and listening to the quiet anxieties of the boardroom, I must tell the truth, we are not just at challenging moment, we are at a definitive crossroads of our national existence.
“We have stopped the bleeding, yes, but we have not healed the wound. We have managed the crisis, but we have not cured the disease,” he said.
He stressed that sustainable development requires deliberate, consistent economic planning that will ensure that the gains of stabilisation translate into long-term prosperity for all Ghanaians.