Deputy Finance Minister, John Ampontuah Kumah has refuted claims by the Minority Caucus that Ghana’s economy is out of control.

His comment comes after the Minority in Parliament called on the government, to seek immediate debt relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the Minority, Ghana will face a deeper economic crisis, during which government will not be able to service its debt by February 2023, if the country does not apply for debt relief.

“The Ghanaian economy has been driven into a ditch and will require an urgent fiscal measure to pull out from the ditch. We expect the government to seek urgent debt relief from the IMF,” Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said.

But speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Mr Kumah reiterated that the economy is not a crippling one as painted by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“I think this exaggerated looming picture of Ghana’s economy is out of place. I think the NDC is just in a hurry to create a picture as if the economy is out of control, I mean it is far from that,” he said.

According to him, “Ghana’s economy has produced the highest level of cocoa in the history of our country, that is not a crippling economy" instead depicts a thriving economy.

“When you talk about cocoa and its impact on our GDP the strength of our economy, we talking about large base billion of farmers who have just received the premium pricing in the cocoa and also experiencing an increase in volumes of production so that should immediately tell you that this is an economy that is doing well of course to have a positive impact on the GDP of the country."

He noted that the government of Ghana was commended in the IMF report for its efficient handling of the Covid-19 situation.

 “In fact the named Ghana one of the few nations in the world that have competently managed the difficult economic situation globally so you cannot take the credit from this government that indeed in the midst of all these difficulties Ghana has done well,” he added.

He also stated that Fitch solution has cited the Ghanaian economy as the fastest growing economy or recovery economy in the sub-Saharan Africa.