The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has asked the government to take urgent steps to stabilize the economy to bring relief to many Ghanaians who have to bear with the current economic difficulties.

According to the Bishops, “The current economic hardships are becoming unbearable for Ghanaians.”

The Catholic Bishops who rose from their 2023 annual conference on Saturday, November 18, held in Sunyani, said while they acknowledge the impact of the current global economic crisis which has affected the growth of Ghana’s economy, and also appreciate government efforts to mitigate the impact of the crisis on Ghanaians, it is also “true that, we as a country have not been able to manage our economy well.”

They said the poor management of the economy, coupled with a myriad of persistent challenges, has contributed to the current economic woes in which we find ourselves, requiring that we resort again to the IMF.

“For growth and sustainability, we also call on government to use the right approach in implementing policies, reduce its size, minimize waste, promote the common good, review and remove all of the abuses related to benefits in Article 71 of the Constitution of Ghana,” the conference of Bishops said in a communique they issued at the end of their plenary.

The 2023 Conference was held under the theme: “Fostering the growth of the Catholic Church in Ghana through Collaborative Ministry.”

“In line with the theme of our Plenary Assembly, we call on all Ghanaians to commit themselves to issues of national concern in the spirit of co-responsibility. In this light, we encourage citizens to bear their fair share of sacrifice for the sake of the next generation.”

The bishops lamented the persistence of the numerous challenges that plaque the Ghanaian society, which it says it has been cataloguing in previous communiques.

“These challenges include: high cost of living, high inflation, youth unemployment, “institutionalized” bribery and corruption, abuses in procurement practices, weak and ineffective institutions of governance, lack of patriotism, deplorable roads, carnage on our roads, poverty, galamsey, abandoned and unfinished government projects, the culture of impunity, examination malpractices, violence, intimidation, attack on media men and women, human trafficking and abductions. These challenges, in addition to the current global crisis, have contributed to our current socio-economic situation.”

The conference also acknowledged a dwindling church membership, and outlined a number of measures to win back souls.