Gov’t Itself Responsible for Economic Woes – Economist

Mr. Johnson Addai Asante, an Economics Lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University has taken a critical stance, attributing Ghana’s economic challenges to the government’s own actions.

According to him, the country’s financial woes could be resolved through a reduction in government expenditure, but it appears that such recommendation has fallen on deaf ears within the government circles.

In an interview on Opemsuo Radio’s Nkwantannanso with George Adjei on July 31, he suggested that merging certain ministries, such as the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, with the Ministry of Natural Resources, could lead to a more efficient allocation of resources .

Moreover, the economist expresseed concerns about the proliferation of government-created secretariats to manage specific programs. He proposed that these secretariats be collapsed, and their responsibilities be entrusted to appropriate ministries.

Such a move, according to him, would result in cost savings.

“The Ministry of Education can adequately handle the tasks of the Free SHS secretariat, and the Ministry of Trade can efficiently manage ID1F,” Mr. Asante asserted.

On Monday, July 31, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, addressed Parliament with the highly anticipated Mid-Year Budget Review. During his presentation, he highlighted the government’s efforts in steering the economy towards a path of recovery, following the challenging economic conditions experienced in 2022.

The Finance Minister expressed optimism about the current progress made in reviving the economy.

Story by Adwoa S. Danso