‘Disband the dreadful economic management team; they’re squandering money on meetings’ – Jinapor

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the government to dissolve its economic management team for failing to address the current economic challenges facing the country.

The Ranking Member on Mines and Energy, John Jinapor, said the team has failed to serve its purpose of ensuring an improvement in the living conditions of Ghanaians.

Mr. Jinapor on Eyewitness News wondered why the team had not devised measures to tackle inflation and stop the depreciation of the cedi against major trading currencies.

He thus emphasized the need for the team to be dissolved to save taxpayers’ money.

“They cannot spend the taxpayer’s money on meetings and at the end of the day, it even leads to more hardship. Then they better save that money.

“That is why we are calling on the government to dissolve the economic management team whose performance has been woefully inadequate and abysmal. The performance of the economic management team is nothing to write home about, and we hold the view that it should be dissolved,” he said.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, a Member of the Finance Committee in Parliament, Stephen Amoah, dismissed Mr. Jinapor’s call.

He said the call for a dissolution of the team is unfounded since the current economic crisis is partly a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We all have to be serious about issues bordering on Ghana. Which of our rules provides any performance indicators by which they can call for the dissolution of economic management.? It is extremely sad and astonishing that Mr. Jinapor is saying that. The parameters are there. We know what the global disease has done to our countries and economies to the extent that we have had to stay home.”

Cabinet Retreat: ‘IMF isn’t on the agenda; fuel price hikes, border reopening are main items

There’s currently a meeting of Cabinet ongoing to discuss pertinent issues affecting the economy. A highly placed inside source has told Citi News that the meeting, which is held quarterly, is, this time, considering the reopening of the country’s land borders and the ever-rising fuel prices.

The source suggested that the government may not consider an IMF bailout for Ghana, despite acknowledging the dire economic situation the country finds itself in, amidst the push for the controversial E-levy to be passed.

Many observers, particularly the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), have urged the government to “swallow its pride” and return to the IMF for help