An Economics Professor at the University of Ghana, Dr. Priscilla Twumasi-Baffour, has applauded the Akufo-Addo administration for its prudent economic management skills.
She scored the current administration 70 percent for its performance in managing key macroeconomic indicators such as economic growth and interest rates, performance of different sectors of the economy and initiatives taken by the government.
Dr. Twumasi- Baffour was contributing to a discussion organised by Joyfm to assess the performance of the current NPP administration under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo after almost two years in office.
“Currently we are operating under the extended credit facility under the World Bank which we subscribed to in 2015. Under the programme we were struggling because we needed to stabilize the macroeconomic environment, we needed credibility for policy and support essentially the significant depreciation of the cedi at that time. When you look at the GDP trajectory at that time, in 2014 we grew at 4%, 2015 we grew at 3.8% and in 2016 we grew at 3.7%. Coming to the NPP era, in 2017 growth was 8.4% and the projected growth for the end of 2018 is 6.3%. So looking at these numbers I will say that we are on the right course” she said.
The economist also said the non oil growth in terms of GDP was also not doing badly at all.
She however underscored the need for government to be more discipline in prudent spending in post IMF.
“We will have to be more discipline to consolidate the gains that have been made so that we don’t run back to the IMF to bail us out. In terms of the President’s own Ghana beyond aid description, taking our own destiny into our own hands and managing our affairs well” she added.
Dr. Twumasi-Baffour urged government to address the revenue shortfalls and the fiscal slippages and cautioned against been over ambitious in revenue target and based on that go out spending.
The Minister for Monitoring Professor George Yaw Gyan-Baffour who also joined in the discussion responded to why the promised 51 factories as of the end of 2017 have not been achieved.
“When the government said it is going to start 51 factories, it was not said that at the end of the year you can go and the factories will be producing…,” he explained. He added that the factories “do not go up overnight.”
Professor Gyan-Baffour said “You start with identifying where to put up the factory, you need to have access to road, ensure electricity supply and even sometimes import raw materials”.
He added that these variables may be what is making people worried but the government is determined to achieve the project and will do the same.
“I am sure within the next two years; you will see some of these factories running. I do not think it is something that cannot be achieved,” he added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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those with nothing to say resort to insults as meaningful contribution to the discussion. they are also suffering from inferiority complex. GDP raising from 4% in 2014 to 8.4% in 2017 is a significant and marked improvement. you could say what you want but the facts speak for itself. the insults would not help any body.
Where have the proverbial Ghanaian courtesies gone? We need to respect each other's view without insults.
Dr Priscilla are also family or friend? You should be ashamed of yourself. Did you actually graduate? Majority of Ghanaians know and feel the reality of suffering and economic mismanagement and this is what is being experienced now
what else do you expect from this political maggot infested brain
Dump and empty brain prof. she has never entered the market before. her brain is full of cow sh*t
That’s fair assessment. I applaud Dr. Twumasi.
Madam in our country people who are not in the same political party as the ruling government do not want to hear things like this even if it is the obvious truth. You will easily be tagged as a party person. But as someone in the academia you are expected to say it as it is. Thats is all academic freedom is about.
when did she become a professor? a serious economics academic will not just make argument based on the numbers without investigating what caused the growth. the stabilization of power at the by the end 2016 boosted industrial growth, can that be attributed to current govt? by the time they came to power, sankofa and TEN oilfields ripe awaiting ITLOS ruling which had been fought by the NDC, what did the current administration do warrant praise for the added revenue streams resulting from those oil blocks. is she aware oil prices improved from 40 usd /barrel to about 70usd this year? did the current govt do anything for such positive price shocks? She should go back to notes to revise how to analyse economic policy!
YOU SEE HOW ***barred word*** YOU ARE. NDC BIGOT NE GYIMEE
The name even tells you how she is going to rate this government. Family and Friends rating. lol