Dr. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, Minister of State for Special Initiatives, has revealed that President John Dramani Mahama assigned him to identify policy initiatives that can effectively address Ghana's development challenges. In an interview on JoyNews' The Pulse, Dr. Pelpuo stated that his role involves reviewing emerging initiatives from various sectors to determine which ones can be adopted, developed, and aligned with the government's Reset Agenda.
Dr. Pelpuo's new role focuses on finding initiatives that create value and deliver practical benefits to the public. He emphasized that the initiatives will be assessed based on their potential to contribute to the government's broader policy direction. This includes evaluating how the initiatives can be adopted, worked with, and tailored to fit into the government's policy arrangements.
The Minister of State for Special Initiatives highlighted that the ultimate goal is to identify initiatives capable of addressing key development concerns confronting Ghana. Dr. Pelpuo noted that several initiatives are already available, but his responsibility is to identify those that can respond effectively to the challenges facing the country.
Dr. Pelpuo was reassigned from the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment to become Minister of State for Special Initiatives in a ministerial reshuffle announced on August 26, 2026. Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum replaced him as Minister for Labour, Employment and Job Creation. The reassignment is part of President Mahama's broader changes to the structure of his administration.
Dr. Pelpuo has described his new role as an opportunity to contribute to the government's Reset Agenda. He thanked President Mahama for retaining him in government and expressed his commitment to helping push the agenda to a successful conclusion.
The Reset Agenda is a key policy direction of the Mahama administration, aimed at addressing Ghana's development challenges. Dr. Pelpuo's role will involve coordinating and assessing policy initiatives to ensure they align with the agenda. This includes identifying initiatives that can create value, deliver practical benefits, and address key development concerns.
Germany has committed $132m to Ghana for skills development and training university, according to Dr. Pelpuo. This development underscores the government's efforts to address key development challenges and create opportunities for growth.
Key points
- Dr. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo tasked with identifying policy initiatives for Reset Agenda.
- Initiatives to be assessed based on potential to contribute to government's policy direction.
- Goal is to identify initiatives addressing key development concerns in Ghana.
