… 9th Ghana CEO summit and Expo slated for 26th May
By Juliet ETEFE ([email protected])
As the country navigates a critical phase in its economic recovery, experts have called for urgent structural reforms and deeper collaboration between the private and public sectors to drive sustainable transformation.
Addressing journalists at a press launch of the 9th Ghana CEO Summit and Expo, scheduled for May 26, 2025, the Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana, Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, highlighted persistent fiscal weaknesses that continue to undermine the country’s economic progress despite modest gains under the current IMF-supported programme.
Mr. Owusu underscored challenges such as high inflation, rising interest rates, mounting debt stock, and low revenue mobilisation, adding that these issues have remained entrenched in the country’s fiscal structure for years.
“Our economy is not out of the woods yet,” he said, referencing the country’s public debt which stood at over GH¢720 billion as of December 2024, and inflation which hovered around 22 percent—missing the target of 15 percent.
While external reserves hit US$9 billion in February 2025, about a year ahead of target, he cautioned that deferred external debt servicing, set to resume in May 2026, could exert pressure on the country’s reserve position.
He described country’s fiscal economy as historically fragile, largely due to poor expenditure management and weak domestic revenue generation.
He also expressed concern over Ghana’s revenue-to-GDP ratio, which continues to trail behind its regional peers.
“As a Country, we have only done fairly well during periods of the IMF programme. Ghana’s internal revenue mobilisation has also consistently lagged its peers, with total revenue and grants hovering in the mid-teens as a percentage of GDP.
It is worrying to see a neighboring country like Togo with a free port doing a revenue-to-GDP ratio of about 17.4 percent in 2024,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Mr. Owusu urged government to implement aggressive fiscal consolidation through prudent expenditure cuts and tax reforms, while investing in bold social programmes that support education, health, and human capital development.
Particular emphasis was placed on the urgent need to address food inflation, which stood at 26.5 percent in March 2025.
He called for full implementation of agriculture programmes such as ‘Feed Ghana’ and ‘Feed the Industry’ to enhance food security, reduce imports, and boost local manufacturing.
Mr. Owusu also urged stronger collaboration among government, business leaders, and civil society to foster innovation, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.
Reiterating the call, CEO and Founder of Dynamic Data Solutions Ltd (dds55), Mrs. Yvette Adounvo Atekpe emphasised the urgent need to reset the economy through intentional innovation, robust digital infrastructure, and bold public-private collaboration.
Connectivity
Reflecting on the summit’s theme, —“Leading Ghana’s Economic Reset: Transforming Business and Governance for a Sustainable Futuristic Economy”— she highlighted that in today’s disruptive world, digital connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity—essential for enabling inclusive growth, efficient governance, and global competitiveness.
From education and e-governance to smart cities and climate adaptation, Mrs. Atekpe asserted that digital solutions powered by AI, blockchain, and data analytics must drive Ghana’s transformation, affirming her company’s commitment to this vision.
Tech sovereignty and leadership
CEO and Founder of Margins ID Group, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr., underscored the urgent need for Ghana to confront the realities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution head-on.
In the face of rising protectionism, global digital dependencies, and volatile geopolitics, Mr. Baiden Jnr. warned against complacency and called for the country to secure its digital sovereignty and technological independence.
“Imagine a future where your data your corporate memory can disappear overnight because of geopolitical tensions or account restrictions imposed from halfway across the world. That’s the stark reality we must prepare for.
“This is why we must begin to think seriously about owning our technology, securing our digital sovereignty, and building systems that are transparent, ethical, and accountable,” he said.
He further challenged leaders to embed transparency, compliance, and accountability into the heart of governance and business practices while he called on CEOs to lead with purpose and reshape economic frameworks.
Capital markets key
For her part, the Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) Abena Amoah underscored the critical role of capital markets in driving the country’s economic reset.
Speaking on the summit’s theme, she noted that sustainable transformation hinges on bold leadership, innovative financing, and inclusive growth.
9th Ghana CEO Summit and Expo
In his remarks, Ernest De-Graft Egyir, Founding CEO of the Chief Executives Network Ghana, emphasised the strategic importance of the 9th Ghana CEO Summit & Expo as a catalyst for country’s economic reset.
Scheduled for May 26 at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, the summit will serve as a high-level platform for dialogue between public and private sector leaders under the aforementioned theme.
Mr. Egyir announced that the President John Dramani Mahama will serve as the special guest of honour, while he highlighted that this year’s summit will feature exclusive masterclasses, CEO deal rooms, high-impact dialogues, and keynote sessions led by global and local thought leaders.
Stressing the urgency for bold and innovative leadership, Mr. Egyir called on CEOs, policymakers, and investors to actively engage in redefining the economic narrative and driving sustainable transformation across sectors.
