Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), Minority Caucus in Parliament says the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia led administration should be men enough to take full responsibility for the current mess the Ghanaian economy finds itself which has led to a forced programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Caucus is of the view that it is the incompetence of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the Head of the Economic Management Team in particular and the failure of the Government led by President Akufo-Addo in general, which has led to the IMF bailout to fix the country’s economic challenges and difficulties.
“President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia should take full responsibility for incompetently managing the economy to suffocate debt levels which have necessitated the retreat for us to request an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for the restructuring of our debts.”
Addressing some members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC), in Parliament on Wednesday, July 6, Mr Haruna Iddrisu asked Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia to blame themselves but no other.
“They should take full responsibility for their reckless and irresponsible borrowing and the unjustified profligate expenditure which has led us to the journey of retreat,” the Minority Leader reiterated.
Though some officials in President Akufo-Addo’s Government including the Finance Minister are on record for demonizing IMF programs in the past, Government authorities made an official announcement on July 1, 2022, to the effect that it had decided to engage the Fund for support. Based on this request, information available indicates that a team of IMF staff has already been dispatched to kick-start discussions on a possible program to support Ghana’s homegrown economic policies.
Meanwhile, the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, has asked the people of Ghana to expect a powerful IMF program.
“Unfortunately, the Government is not articulating that fact. They are trying to hide from what is happening by trying to blame the Ukraine-Russia war. I do not accept it and we cannot accept that as why Ghana is in this mess.
We are in this mess because it is Government’s deliberate policy. The Government has messed us up big time and should take full responsibility for it. This is indeed self-inflicted and the people that took us to this mess must immediately take responsibility,” he observed.
He, therefore, called on the Government to come clean by informing the people about the reality of the issues on the ground.