By Ashiadey Dotse
Dr Joshua Zato, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, says the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government deserves credit for Ghana’s recent economic gains, particularly the strengthening of the cedi.
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoint programme, Dr Zato said while political outcomes often involve some luck, the appreciation of the cedi and visible signs of economic improvement have taken place under the NDC’s leadership and cannot be dismissed.
“I won’t dispute that the appreciation is happening under the watch of the NDC,” he said, adding that although not all successes can be directly linked to government policy, the current administration must be acknowledged for presiding over the gains.
Dr Zato, however, urged that facts remain central to national discourse. He criticised recent comments by the Finance Minister, particularly a claim that Ghana recorded its only negative rate of debt accumulation in 2018 — a statement he said has been refuted by fact-checkers.
He also challenged the Minister’s assurance that no new taxes would be introduced, citing recent increases in levies on petroleum products, government services, marine gas oil, and insurance premiums.
“Even if such charges are backed by economic logic or policy, they are still taxes, despite the public promise not to introduce any,” he noted.
Dr Zato also highlighted a pattern he has observed over the years, that finance ministers tend to perform well in their first and second years, but often struggle during the third and fourth years due to internal political pressures.
“The real question is whether a finance minister can say no to unnecessary spending when the President or party leadership demands it,” he said.
While acknowledging that all finance ministers introduce taxes for various reasons, Dr Zato stressed the importance of transparency and consistency in governance. He concluded that tax policies must always be assessed not just by their intent, but also by their impact on ordinary Ghanaians.
