The Ministry of Information yesterday commenced its planned Townhall meetings with the first edition taking place at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra.
The meeting organized in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council, served as a platform to showcase the Government’s infrastructural projects and social interventions in the regions and also inform the citizenry of the government’s achievements in infrastructural development and governance in general.
Speaking at the town hall meeting, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, stated that the size of the economy, despite challenges, had grown by $20 billion under the current administration as of 2023.
He compared this to 2013 when, under Mahama’s administration, the size of the economy was $64 billion, which decreased to $56 billion in 2016.
“As of 2023, the Ghanaian economy had reached $76 billion, indicating a nominal growth of $20 billion under the Akufo-Addo Government”, He indicated.
The Minister emphasized that the Government had made tough economic decisions amid global economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which were beginning to yield positive results.
‘The Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDP), saw 95 percent participation by local bondholders, as one of the numerous tough decisions taken by the Government”, the Minister indicated.
Dr. Anim revealed that in 2023, Ghana made a $3.4 billion trade surplus. This, he compared to a $1.8 billion trade deficit under the Mahama government in 2016.
The Minister attributed the surge in inflation to the global economic meltdown due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, not economic mismanagement.
He stated that the reduction in inflation from 54 percent in 2022 to 22 percent as of June this year was because of Government’s resilient policies and programmes.
He projected that by the end of the year, inflation would decrease to 15 percent, with a potential reduction to a single digit by 2025 if given the mandate in the December 7 election.
The Minister of Information, Hon. Fatimatu Abubakar, in her welcome remarks, stated that the townhall meetings would be organized across the country in all 16 regions until November.
She noted that the Town Hall meetings would enable regional ministers, chief executive officers of the various assemblies, and sector ministers to answer questions from the public regarding their stewardship.
She stated that feedback from interactions with the public would assist the Government in shaping future policies and programmes.
The event provided an opportunity for all 29 District, Municipal, and Metropolitan Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region to exhibit key infrastructural projects implemented by the government from 2017 to date.
Source: MOI (PR Unit)
