President John Mahama delivered a nationwide address on May 7, 2025, to account for the progress made in delivering some 25 promises made in the new government’s “120-Day Social Contract” with the People of Ghana.
In the lead-up to the 2024 general elections, the then-candidate had promised to fulfill these promises within four months, as contained in a document titled “120-day social contract”
GhanaFact published a PROMISE METER report, assessing all the 25 listed promises and rated two of them as ‘PROMISE BROKEN.’
Fourteen others were rated as PROMISE KEPT, while five and four others were rated IN THE WORKS and PROMISE PARTIALLY KEPT, respectively.
In the president’s address, however, he claimed to have delivered on all 25 promises. This report presents the explanations given by the President regarding these two broken promises.
Promise
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Within my first 90 days in office, review taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Ghana Fact rated this as a broken promise because there was no mention of plans to implement this promise in the 2025 budget presented by the Finance Minister.
On April 7, 2025, which marked the 90th day of the government, there was no formal announcement on review of taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Mahama’s explanation
The President’s statement acknowledges a delay in the implementation of the particular promise, shifting the expected outcome to future budgetary reviews rather than meeting the 90-day timeline.
“We committed to reviewing taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported for industrial and agricultural purposes within our first 90 days. My government has initiated this crucial review process. The results of this comprehensive review will guide policy decisions and be incorporated into the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review and the 2026 Budget, ensuring we support these vital sectors effectively”
While the initiation of a review process is a step forward, it does not fulfill the original commitment, which promised action within a defined time frame.
This justifies GhanaFact’s classification of the promise as broken, as the government did not meet the deadline or provide tangible results within the 90-day period.
Promise
Commence investigative processes to purge state security agencies of all militia and vigilante elements.
Ghana Fact ranked this as a Promise Broken because there has been no evidence publicly of any investigative processes initiated to achieve this.
Mahama’s explanation
The President explains that a board of inquiry has been established by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to undertake this task.
“To purge state security agencies of militia and vigilante elements and enhance professionalism, we promised to commence investigative processes. A board of inquiry has been established by the Ghana Armed Forces to investigate recent recruitment processes, aiming to uncover discrepancies and implement corrective measures. Robust background checks are ongoing for all recruits and serving personnel, and mandatory ideological orientation sessions are planned to reinforce military neutrality, national unity, and constitutional loyalty.
“A biometric database is being introduced to cross-check personnel against national criminal and security intelligence records, automatically disqualifying applicants linked to political vigilante networks. This aims to decentralise and depoliticise recruitment. Similar processes are underway across other security agencies, including the Police, Fire Service, and Prisons Service.”
While the President outlines several measures suggesting internal reforms, these actions were not publicly documented or reported prior to his May 7 address.
UPDATE: Promise 17
The promise read: “Commence the review of the Customs (Amendment) Act 2020 to scrap the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles to rescue the local automotive industry at Suame Magazine, Kokompe, Abossey Okai, among others.”
This was previously rated as a BROKEN PROMISE, but GhanaFact has reviewed it to PROMISE KEPT after new facts came to our attention.
The new facts confirm that the government had commenced processes to review the said law with a visit of the sector minister to artisans at the Suame Magazine in March 2025.
“Our discussions centered on practical solutions and policy reforms that will pave the way for a more transparent and vibrant sector,” the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofori-Adjare, said in a Facebook post.
By Nusrat Essah
