Kwaku Kwarteng, the Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, has told President John Dramani Mahama to deploy the hard decisions Ghana has been yearning for so long.
According to Kwaku Kwarteng, President Mahama must take bold and difficult economic decisions without fear of losing an election.
He stressed that Mahama is in a uniquely positioned to do long-overdue reforms needed to address Ghana’s wage bill and interest payments.
Kwaku Kwarteng added that so far, the current approach being used is very much business as usual.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Thursday, January 8, Kwaku Kwarteng stated, “The suggestion that once you are tough, once you go after people who pay their taxes, once you rein in expenditure, somehow, you are going to lose an election, I do not believe that. And I think President Mahama is in the unique position to do the reforms I am calling for.
“So far, I have not seen much. I have yet to see any clear change. If you look at the big items in our expenditure profile, the wage bill, interest payments, what are the policy positions or the changes the government is pursuing on these lines?
“If we cannot discuss clear changes, then it is very much business as usual. I take this opportunity to speak to the president and to say, you are not coming back, please deploy the hard decisions that this country has been needing for so long,” he said.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has once again reiterated his commitment to raising Ghana’s economy and governance to a level no succeeding government can reverse.
Speaking at the annual New Year School Conference on Tuesday, January 6, President Mahama expressed his determination to make his second term count.
According to President Mahama, Ghana must set an example at a time when democratic governance is under pressure in parts of Africa.
President Mahama stated, “I have decided to make this second mandate so graciously granted to me by Ghanaians count. I have pledged to raise our economy and governance to a level that no succeeding government can reverse.”
“In a region where democracy is backsliding, we must demonstrate that democracy works and that our people can have faith in their leaders to uphold their interests and create opportunities for national prosperity,” he stated.
He further assured Ghanaians that his administration would maintain fiscal saying, “I can assure Ghanaians also that we will not relax the current fiscal discipline and efficient management of the economy even in the election year of 2028”.
Mahama added, “It demands that we move beyond rhetoric to implementation, short-term fixes to long-term solutions, and beyond narrow interest to the national interest. Growth and consolidation must be permanent.
“We cannot build the Ghana we want if the progress made under one regime is reversed under another. Our economic development programmes must be medium to long-term. Our progress as a nation must transcend political seasons, and this is why I decided to make this second mandate, so graciously granted to me by Ghanaians count,” he said to applause.