Sacking Ofori-Atta not enough; size of gov’t must also be reduced – Bokpin

A lecturer of economics at the University of Ghana Business School, Prof. Godfred A. Bokpin has stressed that the demand for the removal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta isn’t enough to turn around the country’s economic woes.

Speaking on the back of demands by some Members of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party for the Minister’s removal, the economics lecturer and analyst said much more needs to be done for the effects of Ofori-Atta’s dismissal to be felt in the economy.

“That is not the only change we want. It will not amount to so much, just changing the Finance Minister. He [President Akufo-Addo] must go a step further and reduce the number of Ministers and the government size overall, including the staff at the presidency. And beyond that, he must stretch that across State Owned Enterprises.”

Prof. Bokpin also said the large size of the government is partly to blame for what is currently being experienced because “if you look at their [State Owned Enterprises] staff strength, that have gone up since 2017, we are creating deputy CEOs and all of that.”

He instructively added that the government needs to put radical measures in place by cutting down on the numbers of people currently on government payroll in these hard times to curb the situation.

“We must adopt a lean government across general government approach, not just the central government but general government approach of doing business.”

Several Ghanaians had mounted pressure on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta from office in light of the country’s current economic predicament, which has compelled government to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Minority in Parliament has also filed a motion for a vote of censure against Ofori-Atta.