Renowned economist and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwame Pianim is not happy the Minister of Finance, Kenneth Ofori-Atta, does not pick his calls.
The Yale-trained investment consultant minced no words when he said Mr Ofori-Atta has badly managed the economy and will go down in history as the Finance Minister who has borrowed more than all his predecessors.
“He has over-borrowed [and we are not getting value for money,” Mr Pianim stated in an interview on TV3 Wednesday, December 22. “And he needs to realise that he is not just a budget and expenditure minister, he is Minister for Finance. Finance means growing the economy.”
He shot down the recently captured Electronics Transactions Levy, widely known as e-levy, in the 2022 budget, saying it is a wrong move to raise funds for infrastructure and, therefore, must be abandoned.
“We have to go back to the basics. This expenditure, what is it on it for? Do we get value for money?”
Asked by presenter Berla Mundi why he would not make his suggestions available to the government given his membership of the ruling NPP, the former board chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) said Mr Ofori-Atta does not pick his calls.
“The Finance Minister doesn’t take my phone calls,” he remonstrated. “The Deputy [Finance Minister] took. I reached out. I talked to the president.”
He confirmed that about three weeks ago, he reached out to the President, whom he exonerates as picking his calls but “he is very busy”.
“Finance Minister doesn’t take my phone calls.
“Even when I reached out to his Personal Assistants to book an appointment, he doesn’t give me an appointment.
“They know what they are doing.”
Source: 3news.com
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And so what? Maybe you have not got any better thing to say
Why should he pick your call when he considers you as a saboteur? Since you decided to condemn him and describe his work in unprintable words you should not expect him to pick your calls. You are a dead horse and a spent force. Tell the country which economic policy you have personally advised any government, which yielded positive results, since independence. You have been over-hyped over the years so much that ***barred word*** people have always believed that you are an economic GURU, but you are just an empty barrel that makes so much noise.
With all due respect, Mr. Kwame Pianim, you are not being veracious with your critics of the finance minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Ata. I do not know the order of precedence of your calls to the finance minister with respect to the time your critique was made, let alone public. If I want to maintain my respect for you, I would prefer not to respond to your call-I mean, if I were Ken. Your critic, and I quote: "And he needs to realise that he is not just a budget and expenditure minister, he is also a Minister for Finance. Finance means growing the economy. " That is not constructive criticism coming from a senior party member. If that was even true, to me, it sounds pugnacious, belitilling, and disrepectful. Indeed, looking at the Ghanian economy, the structures, the political space and the four-year mandate, what would one do to first maintain political power? Obviously, social interventions are key. The FHS is paramount among health care and many other policies like 1D1F, planting for food and road construction that have been remarkably achieved within the space of the Akufo-Addo administration. To reduce all these to nothing is so unfair and just too harsh. If we are candid to rate all the administrations in the fourth republic, the Kufuor and Akufo-Addo administrations stand tall.
Why should he pick the phone of a bitter, negative and an ancient gone are the days economist. You had wanted Nana Addo to use you like Koffour did. Your time is passed and your ideas in your brains, ancient, and can't fix problems of our time. We need smart financial economist with modern solutions. Just rest, you talk too much.
You are talking too much Mr Pianim. Please leave Ken alone to sort the country's finances out. once upon a time when the going was tough, you abandoned the NPP. Please stop fanning the d1scontent against the finance minister.
Grandma, sorry that Ken doesn’t answer your calls. Wakyer3 w’adwen, but if you have suggestions I think you should use alternative structures within the party and government to reach. I can imagine the pressure on Ken and how many people want to speak with him directly. NPP people like expressing their grievances in public too much. Please find a way to get to him with your message, but note that if you are being critical of him publicly before trying to hear his side, then he’ll be less inclined to want to speak with you.
Pls Sir Pianim, give others the opportunity to work. You had your chance what structural change did you introduce? Criticising without sharing your own accomplishments with us will not help. Otherwise,forever hold your peace.