The Group Chief Executive Officer of Margins ID Group, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr., has called for Ghana to build an economy driven by merit, competitiveness and market forces rather than political connections and personal relationships.
Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on Monday, July 13, 2026, Mr Baiden said the country’s economic transformation would require a collective national commitment to prioritising productivity and supporting businesses with proven capacity to create jobs and drive growth.
“We have to come together as a country and prioritise what’s important for the country. It’s a very small step, but it’s possible in a bipartisan way. We have to love ourselves,” he said.
He argued that Ghana should channel resources into productive sectors of the economy instead of activities that do not generate sustainable value.
“We have to fund the productive part of our economies, not the non-productive. Because, as my father says, if you have a bucket that has a hole, no matter how much water you put into it, it will end up being empty. So why bother?” he said.
Mr Baiden stressed that economic opportunities should be determined by competence and performance rather than political patronage.
“So we shouldn’t run a sort of economy that depends on who you know. We should run an economy that runs on market forces and capability, so that the companies that can thrive, who do the hard work, who provide services, products, and solutions that actually move the needle, who create employment, who pay taxes, who have the ability to scale, must be given opportunity,” he said.
He criticised the practice of awarding opportunities based on family ties or political affiliation, warning that such an approach undermines economic growth and wastes public resources.
“Not people’s aunties, brothers, sons, or party supporters and so on. Because if you fund somebody who hasn’t done the work, he’s going to fail. It’s a waste of effort. They can be there for five years, they can make money, but in the end, money will be wasted.”
Mr Baiden maintained that allowing market forces to determine success would strengthen the economy by improving efficiency and encouraging innovation.
“Let the markets work. The markets will improve performance, it will improve competitiveness, it will build resilience, it will [inspire] passionate people to excel, and things will start improving, basically,” he said.
