Flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama, says President Nana Akufo-Addo should "cut frivolous expenditure” to generate more revenue.

This, the ex-president says, would be a demonstration of sacrifice amid pressure on the economy following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Already, international rating firm, Moody’s, last Friday, changed Ghana’s economic outlook to negative from positive, spelling possible extreme difficulties ahead.

“The decision to change the outlook to negative reflects the rising risks, ultimately emanating from the coronavirus outbreak, to Ghana’s funding and debt service, with financing beyond immediate official creditor emergency support looking increasingly vulnerable," Moody’s said.

To get the economy back on track would require sacrifice, Mahama said while speaking during a live broadcast on the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the president must show leadership in that sacrifice and stop unnecessary spending.

The public service, Mahama said “is over-bloated especially political appointees.”

He added, this is the time for the president to look at the number of his Ministers and make the necessary sacrifice.

You cannot have appointees running around and drawing free fuel and have 125 Ministers and ask the people to sacrifice, Mahama noted.

SSNIT must aid contributors

The former president also called on the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to aid its contributors during this period.

“Social security contributions are essentially an insurance scheme made not just for pension and old age before we die.

“They are also made to help contributors in times of adversities such as this,” Mahama said.

The intervention, he said, would help SSNIT contributors to whose livelihood has been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, to get some monies to purchase food and other important items.