Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has criticized government for its reluctance to cut down on expenditure.
Mr. Mahama pointed out that the current administration’s reluctance to reduce expenditure is worsening both domestic and international debt levels.
He argued that focusing solely on increasing revenue without addressing spending inefficiencies will yield limited results.
Following his visit to the Assemblies of God Church in Accra, Mr. Mahama reaffirmed his commitment to tackling expenditure issues if elected in the upcoming December 7 elections.
He expressed disappointment with the government’s failure to implement necessary spending cuts during crises, stressing the importance of a balanced approach that includes cutting spending alongside revenue generation.
Mahama also outlined his plans to streamline government operations, including reducing the number of ministers and discontinuing projects like the “one village, one dam” initiative.
“This government is not willing to cut expenditure. In crisis, you slash expenditure and increase revenues. All they’re doing is increasing revenues but without reducing expenditure,” he said.
“And that’s why I’ve said we’ll cut down the size of government. We’ll reduce the number of ministers. We’re going to eliminate all those wasteful projects, one village, one dam, and all those things that they spend billions on”.
Regarding agriculture, Mahama pledged to expand investments to support local farmers through initiatives such as “Planting for Food and Jobs.”
He emphasized the need to strengthen the agricultural sector for food security and economic stability, proposing that government support should prioritize Ghanaian companies to boost local employment instead of relying on imports.
In response to Mahama’s criticisms, Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security Palgrave Boakye-Danquah defended the economic management of President Akufo-Addo’s administration.
Speaking on JOY NEWS, Mr. Boakye-Danquah cited data showing lower levels of expenditure relative to GDP under the current leadership, suggesting effective economic stewardship.
“If you want to compare the lowest levels of expenditure relative to GDP have been achieved under the administration of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia between the figures of 19.1% in 2017, 18.9% in 2018, 19% in 2019, respectively,” he said.
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
