The assertions made by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta about the improvement of the Ghanaian economy are incorrect and deceptive, according to Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson.
According to the Minority, Ghanaians’ difficulties have worsened under the Akufo-Addo administration.
He was responding to comments made by the Minister during the 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review, which was tabled in Parliament on July 31, that Ghana’s economy was recovering from the issues it was facing.
Dr. Ato Forson, on the other hand, maintained that the evidence and numbers show differently.
He noted that economic growth has been lowered downward from 2.8% of GDP to 1.5% of GDP, implying a slower recovery than was previously predicted.
“The performance so far shows that we have turned the corner. Unfortunately, the evidence and the numbers before us, show us that he has rather deepened our woes,” Cassiel Ato Forson said.
“I say this because he has said to us today that he’s revising economic growth from 2.8% of GDP to 1.5% of GDP. Again, he said to us here and now that he has borrowed 5.5 billion Ghana cedis from January to June, from the T-Bill market. Mr Speaker, not long ago, this same Minister informed us that he will not borrow at all in the year 2023. And that going into the remaining parts of the year, he is going to borrow another 41 billion Ghana cedis.”
“Aside from that, the Cedi depreciation we are seeing so far, it’s largely because we have defaulted in the payment of external interest and principal. That is why the cedi has depreciated.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
