Former Deputy Finance Minister Kwaku Kwarteng has clarified that his recent explosive article was not aimed at his former boss' government but was intended as an internal discussion among members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, the Obuasi MP explained that his article was meant to address the broader political class that leads the country, not specifically targeting the NPP.

“There were other internal engagements that I would rather keep quiet for now, but this particular one was for the NPP platforms. I was hoping that it would shape our own communication with the public," he said.

He added, “If it had not come out and generated this kind of debate, you probably would have heard other NPP people articulating it, and it would not have been known that I probably started this.”

However, once the article leaked into the public domain, Mr Kwarteng said he felt compelled to address the misunderstandings and misinterpretations it generated.

The MP has stated that many Ghanaians, including himself, are concerned that if the country continues on its current path, its democracy could collapse, taking all political parties with it.

The immediate past chairman of Parliament's Finance Committee noted that since independence, the political norm has been for parties to sing praises of their past achievements and make grand promises for the future when going into elections.

“At the same time, a political party must paint its opponents in the worst possible light. We have mastered this art, and in the process, we have forgotten that politics should be about the future of our children and our motherland. We have reduced election campaigns to bitter struggles between competitors seeking power for the wrong reasons.”

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Kwaku Kwarteng also likened the management of Ghana's economy to a Ponzi scheme.

According to him, the current economic challenges at both national and household levels stem from decades of poor governance, marked by political mismanagement and economic inefficiency across various administrations.

The immediate past chairman of the Finance Committee in Parliament pointed out that since gaining independence, Ghana has consistently spent beyond its means and relied on borrowing to cover the excess.

He emphasised that many of these expenditures are poorly prioritised.

Read also: Ghana’s economy is run like a Ponzi scheme – Kwaku Kwarteng

“I was a bit unnerved when I realized the comments being made were out of context,” he admitted.

The Obuasi MP pointed out that sensational headlines from the article had misconstrued his intentions, making it seem like he was attacking his own government.

He stated that his concerns were about the country's future and not necessarily a critique of the current administration.

“The message in there is good for non-NPP people as well because the political class is not just made up of NPP people,” he noted.

Mr Kwarteng reiterated that some of the issues he raised in his article were not new and that he had made similar points on the floor of Parliament, including calls to cut expenditure, reduce travel, stabilise the currency, government living within its means, and allow the private sector to generate wealth for the country's prosperity.

“I am not just talking about the NPP; I am speaking to the political class and hoping that the NPP will lead that conversation because I know the NPP more than any other political party. I think we have the capacity to digest this, own it, and put it out in a sincere way,” he concluded.