Economic downturn: NPP to challenge Ato Forson's seven-point list

Richard Ahiagbah, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has identified what he believes is the reason Ghanaians have labelled the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as 'incompetent.'

He has hinted that the NPP will in due course respond to a seven-point list by an NDC lawmaker, Cassiel Ato Forson alleging that the government's actions and inactions were to blame for the economic crunch.

Ahiagbah gives reasons for his claim

According to him, the NDC has refused to be honest with Ghanaians in its analysis of the factors that have plunged the country into the current economic downturn.

He is concerned that the party continues to deny the role that global factors play in the current challenges.

The NPP government has serially blamed the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war for the current challenges.

What Ahiagbah said:

His views were contained in a tweet dated January 16, 2023. It read as follows:

"Will the NDC ever be honest with Ghanaians? Their continuous denial of the global factors impacting Ghana confirms why Ghanaians say the NDC is incompetent. A fuller response will be given soon to Hon. Ato Forson's twisted reasons."

Who Ahiagbah was responding to:

The NPP communications head was referring to a social media post over the weekend by former deputy minister of finance Cassiel Ato Forson, who outlined seven causes for the current economic challenges.

In his post, Ato Forson listed how the bloated size of government, especially within the executive and state-owned enterprises, had contributed to depleting government revenue and thereby threatened to tank the economy.

Background

Ghana had a torrid 2022 amid an economic crisis that forced the government to seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) facility at a time when the cedi was rapidly depreciating, inflation was galloping, and the government was faced with multiple downgrades by rating agencies.

The government has repeatedly blamed the crisis partly on the aftershocks of the COVID pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

It has promised to turn around the economic fortunes of the country after sealing a staff-level agreement with the IMF late last year, with hopes that funds from the US$3 billion facility will be released early this year.

The government is hamstrung by hurdles as it attempts to secure a deal with its Domestic Debt Exchange programme.

Organized labour successfully fought off plans to include pensions in the DDE; now individual bondholders are also rejecting plans to include them.

Read Ahiagbah's tweet below:

Will the NDC ever be honest with Ghanaians? Their continuous denial of the global factors impacting Ghana confirms why Ghanaians say the NDC is incompetent. A fuller response will be given soon to Hon. Ato Forson's twisted reasons. #Ghana #GMG #JoyNews #CitiCBS #3newsgh https://t.co/uBSqbj4qGN

— Richard Ahiagbah Official (@RAahiagbah) January 16, 2023