By Seli Baisie
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has stated the country is currently witnessing significant progress in its efforts to revitalize the economy after enduring significant economic difficulties in 2022.
During the presentation of the 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on July 31, Mr. Ofori-Atta emphasized that the government’s strategies and initiatives are beginning to yield positive outcomes.
The Finance Minister urged the nation to recognize and appreciate the significant achievements made in the past three years, despite facing various challenges.
He mentioned that Ghana has maintained essential aspects of life, such as peace, health, security, and a continuous power supply.
Mr. Ofori-Atta expressed his optimism that the implemented measures will lead to an upswing in economic activity, surpassing anything experienced in the history of the Fourth Republic.
“Mr. Speaker, it is important that we acknowledge some of the significant milestones that this country has experienced in the last 3 years. We should be still and appreciate that despite our challenges as a country, we have been saved from many extreme conditions that others have suffered, including peace, health, security, continuous supply of power, and life itself, amongst others.
“Over that period, the country has gone through extremely difficult situations, and the gratitude of His Excellency the President and his government goes to the good people of Ghana for their patience, understanding and positive contributions to Government’s efforts to weather the storm.
“Mr. Speaker, we have turned the corner and, more importantly, we are determined to continue down that path. Soon, we expect the measures taken to result in economic activity greater than anything experienced in the history of the Fourth Republic. Our plans and programmes should soon lead to a sustained increase in domestic production, including manufacturing and farming, replacing many of the products that we are used to importing.”
“As I have indicated, we have made significant progress on restoring macroeconomic stability and the narrative is changing. The economy is showing signs of recovery. The exchange rate has stabilised, inflation has softened, and interest rates have declined since December, 2022,” the Finance Minister said.
