Produce data, not mere assertions - Edudzi Tameklo jabs critics

National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer Godwin Edudzi Tameklo has cited a 34.6 per cent annual increase in gross loans and advances by Ghanaian commercial banks as evidence that economic debates should be grounded in data.

He said the figures in the Bank of Ghana’s September 2026 Monetary Policy Report showed that gross loans and advances had reached GHc128 billion at the end of August 2026.

Tameklo referred to the figures during a discussion about the state of the economy, arguing that claims about economic performance should be tested against verifiable information rather than unsupported assertions.

“According to the Bank of Ghana September 2026 Monetary Policy Report, gross loans and advances by Ghanaian commercial banks grew by 34.6 per cent year on year, reaching 128 billion Ghana cedis at the end of August 2026,” he said.

“That is how much advances in terms of loans gross that have been put into private business. You don’t know this.”

He challenged participants in the debate to examine the available figures before drawing conclusions about economic conditions and the performance of businesses.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on, please. We want stories. So, we don’t want somebody’s imagination. We want a story, a link to the story,” he said on TV3’s New Day.

Tameklo argued that discussions about the economy should be supported by evidence that can be independently checked, including official reports and measurable indicators.

He also questioned claims that businesses were experiencing declining sales because of the state of the economy, insisting that such arguments should be examined against the evidence presented.

“I think that is how the debate ought to be structured,” he said, calling for economic arguments to be supported by specific numbers.

His comments focused on the use of official economic data in public debate, with the bank lending figures serving as the central evidence he presented.