Audio By Carbonatix
British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson is asking that President Akufo-Addo stands with Ghanaians as the country goes through economic challenges.
Some of the ways include cutting down on expenditure as a sign of solidarising with the plight of the citizenry.
This, she believes, is crucial while government does its bit to surmount the challenges faced by the economy.
“For example, no more free coffee and tea for civil servants, no more biscuits in meetings for civil servants. And it's all things that at the time cause a huge kind of [gasp].
"They're taking this away from us. And for me as a British civil servant, the taxpayer shouldn't be buying my coffee and tea," she said in a yet-to-be aired edition of JoyNews' The Probe with Emefa Apawu.
Ghana's current financial situation is not looking good. Despite the local currency being one of the worst-performing after Sri Lanka, the cost of living is skyrocketing.
Government is currently at the doors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) engaging over possible assistance to prevent the economy from crashing further.
These developments have been compounded by a recent creditworthiness downgrade by rating agencies S&P and Fitch.
According to S&P, the downgrade is due to intensifying financing and external pressures on the economy.
In March, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced some expenditure-cutting measures that will ensure the achievement of the fiscal deficit target of 7.4 per cent of GDP for 2022.
Speaking to Emefa Apawu, the High Commissioner believes that more needs to be done.
"I'm saying that really looking at the cost of government is an important place to start including because people need to see that we are in this together and that the pain that is sadly undoubtedly going to remain for a while, as well as the world, comes through these economic challenges. We need to be sharing that pain," she said.
The full interview airs on The Probe on Sunday, August 28.
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