Thomas Nyarko Ampem is the Deputy Minister of Finance
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has stated that fully implementing the nurses’ demands will add an additional GH¢2 billion to the country’s budgeted expenditure for 2025.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, to address the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) over delayed payments under their conditions of service, Nyarko Ampem cautioned that a knee-jerk reaction could have serious consequences for the country, urging a more measured approach.
According to him, the number of nurses are high, and the government’s plan to meet their demands could impact the economy.
“From the Ministry of Finance, we want to show our commitment to help in resolving this important issue because our nurses are very, very critical to healthcare delivery and we appreciate what they do.
“But the reality is that we have over 120,000 nurses and the implementation of the current conditions of service that they are demanding will have serious consequences for the budget. In fact, if we fully implement it, we are going to add in excess of GH¢2 billion to the compensation budget,” he said.
The deputy minister noted that as part of the government’s commitment to preventing overspending and avoiding national debt, it must maintain a 1.5% primary balance surplus annually.
He explained that this approach will help reduce the country’s debt levels and keep them sustainable.
“We have all committed that in our resolve to reset the economy of this country, we must maintain a 1.5 percent primary balance surplus every year in order to bring our debt levels to sustainable levels. And so, it is important for us to manage expenditure,” he noted.
Joining calls for the nurses to end their strike and return to work, Nyarko Ampem indicated that the government is working tirelessly to reach an agreement for their demands to be included in next year’s budget.
He passionately appealed to the association to come for a sit-down discussion and negotiations to resolve the issues.
“So, we want to appeal to our revered nurses that we are willing to negotiate to sit with them and the Ministry of Health to agree on a roadmap that will help us incorporate what can be accommodated in the budget for next year. And we believe that they have all seen the hard work we are all doing to manage the economy better. We want to appeal to them that they should let us sit down and discuss what can be accommodated so that we can all have a win-win situation for all of us,” he added.
The GRNMA has embarked on a nationwide strike that started on June 4, 2025, due to the government’s failure to implement key provisions of their 2024 Collective Agreement, which includes allowances, incentives, and improved working conditions.
MAG/AE
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