A Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament has opposed calls for the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to resign as a result of the prevailing economic woes.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Dr Stephen Amoah said the Finance Minister cannot be blamed for the economic hardship being experienced by Ghanaians.

“…This whole brouhaha as a matter of fact was based on the fact that our economy is not doing well and that it is his [Ofori-Atta’s] fault …. But is that a fact or not? In my opinion, that is not true. The fact that he is the cause of our economic decline, I don’t think that is true,” he said in Mr Ofori Atta’s defense.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JcH7HEZMeH4

The Nhyieso MP added that “to the best of my knowledge GDP had grown from about 3.2, 3.4 averagely to about 7%. The policy rate was about 25.5 it had reduced to about 12.5, Treasury bills were about 22 point something, it has been reduced in about the same period to about 14. Reserve has been increased to about 5.8 to about 7.4. All these were happening. Globally, did anything happen or not? Factually, globally, something happened.”

For this reason, Dr Stephen Amoah said asking the Finance Minister to resign due to economic hardship alone is unfair.

“Were we asking the Finance Minister to step down based on the economic performance today or not? …I am saying that if it is the economy alone, then that will be very unfair,” he stressed.

His assertion was in reaction to several calls from the public for the Finance Minister to resign because of economic hardships.

In a related development, the Minority in Parliament has filed a censure motion to that effect. They cited seven claims.

The claims are; conflict of interest, unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund, illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament, fiscal recklessness, alarming incompetence and gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/i-am-truly-sorry-ken-ofori-atta-to-ghanaians-over-hardship/

Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has apologised to Ghanaians for the hardship being suffered in recent times.

According to him, the brunt borne by the populace due to the ongoing economic turmoil is unfortunate.

He said this when he appeared before the Ad-hoc Committee hearing the motion of censure against him.

“Let me use this opportunity to say to the Ghanaian people what I believe, with courage, every Finance Minister around the world may wish to say to their people now. I am truly sorry,” he told the Committee on Friday.