Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President and 2024 presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party, yesterday stated emphatically that the country’s development trajectory had reached a stage that called for an ‘upgrade’, instead of a ‘reset’, as being espoused by former President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress.

According to Dr. Bawumia, the country’s economy, which is “rebounding,” requires continued growth and expansion, and not a reversal of the gains achieved under the current NPP administration.

“Ghana does not need a reset; it needs an upgrade. Our economy is on the path to recovery, and we must build on the gains we’ve made to ensure a brighter future for all Ghanaians,” he stated during an encounter with the media.

Touching on the state of the nation before the Akufo-Addo administration took over, Dr Bawumia noted that although more work remained to be done, the country could not afford a return to the days of the Mahama administration and its concomitant serious challenges.

The Vice-President recalled that before the NPP assumed office, the country had endured over four-year power crisis, popularly known as ‘dumsor’, adding that unemployment was skyrocketing while the banking sector was on the brink of collapse.

Social intervention programmes, he added, were struggling while the country was teetering on the edge of economic ruin.

He said the assumption of power of the Akufo-Addo government had led to stabilizing power supply, safeguarding depositors’ savings in the banking sector, introduction several pro-poor policies, revamping the health sector, improving infrastructure, and transforming education in the country.

Dr. Bawumia acknowledged the media’s role in promoting democratic governance, and praised the NPP’s contributions to media freedoms, such as the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law and the passage of the Right to Information Act.

“The media is an important ally in our national development agenda and our quest to expand the frontiers of democratic governance in Ghana,” he remarked.

Dr. Bawumia’s media engagement followed the successful launch of the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto. He said Ghanaians deserved a clear understanding of his vision for the country.

According to his campaign team, the media interaction was part of a series of activities aimed at deepening the dissemination of the 2024 Manifesto, and placing it within the context of the national conversation.

Touching of the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto, unveiled last week in Takoradi, Dr Bawumia said the document had provided a detailed plan to sustain economic recovery, reduce the cost of living, stabilise the currency, create jobs, among others.

“We have outlined comprehensive economic proposals to sustain the rebounding economy, reduce the cost of living, stabilise the currency, empower businesses, reform the tax administration, and create jobs,” he emphasized.

Dr. Bawumia detailed his 14 key commitments to Ghanaians, including expanding public infrastructure, improving healthcare, and transforming Ghana into a world-class digital economy. He reiterated that the path forward involves building on existing successes rather than starting over.

Dr. Bawumia reaffirmed his commitment to prioritising job creation and business empowerment, saying that was central to his agenda if elected President in 2024.

He added that his administration would focus on fostering economic growth through business support and sustainable job creation.

“My focus will be on jobs and businesses. We must stabilize the economy and create an environment where businesses can thrive, which will in turn generate more jobs for Ghanaians,” he said.

He reiterated his commitment to creating at least one million high-tech, digital jobs over the next four years, capitalizing on Ghana’s burgeoning digital economy, poised for transformative growth, and supported by reliable data connectivity and expanding digital infrastructure.