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With eight days left for the Supreme Court to hand in its ruling on the 2012 Presidential Election Petition, which is challenging the validity of the declaration of John Dramani Mahama as winner of the December 2012 election, there is one question lingering on the minds of Ghanaians. And that is �How differently would the economy of Ghana be run after August 29?� The Supreme Court could, on Thursday August 29, declare that John Dramani Mahama was validly elected as President; or Nana Akufo-Addo, rather, was the validly elected President. Another scenario could be the Supreme Court ruling for a run-off between the two leading candidates or a re-run of the entire election (or in selected areas). In Ghana at the moment, the state of the economy is the single biggest issue, with Ghanaians desperately seeking solutions to the troubled economy. Since President Mahama took over the administration of the nation over 12 months ago, he has not given any indication that he has the formula to salvage the ailing economy. The Ghanaian economy has been largely acknowledged by both sides of the political divide as facing a myriad of problems, with high interest rates, high cost of doing business, increasing joblessness; rising public debt, which stood at GH�39.1 billion as of May 2013; a record fiscal deficit in 2012 of GH�8.7billion; the humongous arrears of GH�5.4 billion; unbridled overspending; deteriorating utility services, and failing social services. Majority of Ghanaians viewed the economy as the most important issue prior to the conduct of the December 2012 elections. And in case of a run-off or re-run of the 2012 presidential election, the economy will still occupy a centre stage in the campaign by the parties. The New Patriotic Party, in its 2012 manifesto, pledged to transform the Ghanaian economy from one that was structured around the export of raw materials into an industrialised economy, one that will add value to the raw materials. The NPP noted that despite the claims by the NDC government of economic achievements, �Ghanaians do not feel they are personally sharing in the benefits of growth.� What Ghana was witnessing, according the NPP manifesto, was �growing unemployment and worsening macroeconomic indicators�, adding that �the decline in the growth of the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, and the corresponding rise in unemployment are clear signs that the productive sector of our economy is labouring.� On industrialisation, the NPP said a government under Nana Akufo-Addo would expand the manufacturing sector, promote agro-based industrial development, as well as increase the technological capacity in the manufacturing sector and significantly increase the share of manufacturing�s contribution to GDP with the aim of achieving 25% contribution in the medium term. In addition to this, an Akufo-Addo government was going to empower the private sector by providing the regulatory and enabling environment to ensure the transformation of the Ghanaian economy. Touching on Ghana�s trade policy, an Akufo-Addo government was going to implement a trade policy that would work for Ghana in creating jobs and would be attractive and reassuring to the investor. �Government will also help to create jobs through public investment projects such as reforestation, road construction and infrastructural development,� the NPP manifesto added. On �Strengthening the financial sector for Economic Transformation�, the NPP manifesto reiterated the determination of an Akufo-Addo government to implement financial sector reforms aimed at encouraging savings, deepening the capital markets to make affordable long-term finance available to businesses, reduce cost of banking as well as increase the competitiveness of the financial sector. �We will also implement measures to anchor the fiscal and monetary policy framework to stabilize the exchange rate of the Ghana cedi and restore the confidence of the business community in our currency,� the manifesto added. In the 2012 Manifesto of the NDC, it touted the numerous achievements in managing the Ghanaian economy as a result of what it described as �prudent macro-economic management.� The NDC manifesto stated that the NDC government, for which John Dramani Mahama was the Chairman of the Economic Management team, had sustained single digit inflation for more than 24 months, restored exchange rate stability, unprecedented growth rate, reduced fiscal deficit and 3.8 months of import cover. In this regard, the John Mahama government pledged to obtain, in the next four years, an average GDP growth rate of at least 8% per annum; a single digit rate of inflation; an overall budget deficit equivalent to 5.0 per cent of GDP; and gross international reserves that will cover not less than four months of imports. �Overall, our economic policies and programmes will aim at the attainment of a per capita income of at least US$2,300 by year 2017,� the NDC manifesto stated. On Monetary Policy, a John Mahama presidency was going to continue to emphasize low and stable inflation rates, a flexible exchange rate regime that would enhance export competitiveness and import competition. In addition to this, a John Mahama government was going to continue to implement complementary measures that would assist the Bank of Ghana improve financial intermediation. Furthermore, the NDC pledged to support the Bank of Ghana to reduce the high level use of cash and to move progressively towards a cashless economy, as well as implement pragmatic policies that would encourage banks to reduce their lending rates and make saving products more attractive. Touching on Fiscal Policy, NDC manifesto indicated its readiness to continue to resource the revenue collection agencies to improve their efficiency in the collection of revenues to enable it meet its developmental objectives, as well as focus on providing further tax incentives for investments in strategic businesses.