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Ghana’s Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said even though “too many” Ghanaians are going through challenges, the Akufo-Addo government remains a better alternative.

Mr Ofori-Atta said the Ghanaian economy is far better off under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as compared to the ‘dumsor’-riddled era of former President John Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In his assessment, the Akufo-Addo-led government has implemented many interventions to mitigate the difficulties of Ghanaians, but “we’re by no means out of the woods yet, as too many of our citizens are struggling to make ends meet”.

For him, “The economy is in a healthier shape today than it was yesterday”.

Speaking at a Danquah Institute Economic Forum on the theme: ‘Bridging the gap between the formal and informal economy, the role of domestic revenue mobilisation in an era of Ghana beyond aid’, held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons on Friday, 10 May 2019, Mr Ofori-Atta said: “… One could sometimes easily be misled into believing that Ghana is worse off today than it was yesterday. On the contrary!”

Citing examples to buttress his point, he said: “Ghana of yesterday, didn’t see the planned transformational redevelopment the railway sector is seeing today. We no longer have to import plantain from next door and instead are enjoying bumper harvests today. The banking sector is more credible today than it was yesterday. Today, half a million Ghanaians renew their NHIS card from the comfort of their homes and receive health treatment with the card, which wasn’t the case yesterday”.

In his opinion, it was “only yesterday that workers and businesses were brought to their knees by ‘dumsor’ and killer tariffs. For the avoidance of doubt, Madam Chairperson, when I say ‘yesterday’, I actually mean just a couple of years ago”.

He observed that Ghanaians “expect more from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) than the alternative. And, we can so easily take the substance which feeds that impression for granted”.

He stated that: “Ghana is 62 years. Out of which, the Danquah-Dombo-Busia group has so far had less than 13 years to make our contribution to the progress of this country. This is less than half of the opportunity our friends on the other side have had. In this short period of time, we embarked on policies which impact on lives, defining what we stand for”.