Minister for Finance Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta has visited the headquarters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as part of party-government engagements policy initiated by the party’s current national executives.
In a brief interaction, the minister implored the leadership of the governing party to put in place adequate guidelines that would ensure a smooth conduct of its upcoming parliamentary and presidential primaries.
This, according to Mr. Ofori-Atta, is crucial in ensuring that the NPP “break the 8” in the 2024 general election.
The Finance Minister’s visit last Friday, was in response to the “Party-Government Engagements” initiative introduced by the leadership of the party, aimed at bridging the gap between government appointees and various stakeholders of the party.
He was warmly received by the national executives of the party led by Chairman Stephen Ayesu Ntim. In his welcome address, Mr. Ntim explained that the party-government engagements were introduced due to the urgent need for broader collaboration between government appointees and party stakeholders in preparation for the 2024 general election.
The Minister for Finance thanked the party leadership for the warm reception and commended them for their wise initiatives, which will help give the party victory in the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Ghana, he acknowledged, has been hit by difficult socioeconomic conditions in 2022, as skyrocketing inflation and high interest rates triggered a cost-of-living crisis in the country.
However, Mr. Ofori-Atta gave assurance that the Ministry of Finance was determined to achieve macroeconomic stability to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and also enhance the living conditions of the general populace.
He recounted the unprecedented economic feat in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration, which made Ghana one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
According to him, the socioeconomic foundation that was laid by government was intended to usher Ghana into a new dawn of sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
Mr. Ofori-Atta bemoaned that the devastating and lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on the local economy have occasioned challenges for businesses and individual alike.
He assured that government was determined to get the economy back on track, and rallied the leadership of the party to support government’s remedial interventions at reviving the economy.
Mr. Ofori-Atta noted that the government’s Extended Credit Facility agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would energise and stabilise the local economy.
He assured the leadership of the party that government has no intention of cancelling the flagship Free Senior High School Programme as it remains an important social safety net to majority of Ghanaians.
Concerns of Ghanaians
NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong also used the occasion to bring to the attention of the Finance Minister concerns expressed by Ghanaians particularly individual bond holders regarding the Debt Exchange Programme.
The leadership of the party, he indicated, continues to be inundated with these concerns and appealed to the Finance Minister to take a critical look at the policy and explore the possibility of exempting holders of smaller bonds particularly pensioners.
The Finance Minister was hosted by National Executives of the Party led by Mr. Stephen Ayesu Ntim, National Chairman and Lawyer Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary.
Other national executives in attendance were Madam Rita Asobayire, National Second Vice Chairperson; Alhaji Masawudu Osman, National Third Vice Chairperson; Dr. Charles Dwamena, National Treasurer; Mr. Henry Nana Boakye, National Organiser; and Alhaji Aziz Haruna Futa, Nasara Coordinator.
The rest were Dr. Antoinette Tsibu Darko, Deputy General Secretary; Mr. Haruna Mohammed, Deputy General Secretary; Mr. William Yamoah, Director for Finance and Administration; Mr. Richard Ahiagbah, Director for Communications and Mr. Kwame Kyeretwie-Amponsah, Director for External Affairs.
