The Majority Caucus in Parliament has defended the performance of the economy under the current government led by President John Dramani Mahama, following a press conference addressed by the Minority Caucus on Monday, which sought to discredit the government’s role in the ongoing economic turnaround.
At the press conference, the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, argued that the improvements being recorded in the economy were largely attributable to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme initiated by the previous administration.
He further accused the GoldBod of promoting illegal small-scale mining activities and called for a probe into the operations of the institution.
However, a press statement issued and signed by the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mr Mahama Ayariga, and copied to The Ghanaian Times, stated that the positive performance of the economy was the result of sound economic and fiscal policies, discipline and prudence implemented by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
According to the statement, it was therefore not surprising that the economic recovery had been acknowledged by the IMF and other international credit institutions.
The statement also described the GoldBod as an innovative mechanism for leveraging Ghana’s natural resources while helping to stabilise the national currency.
It further commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for introducing foreign policy initiatives that had strengthened Ghana’s economic diplomacy.
“When Parliament resumes in early February, the legal framework for the formalisation of the 24-Hour Economy will be passed into law to establish the 24-Hour Economy Authority,” the statement said.
The Majority Caucus blamed the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration for challenges in key sectors of the economy, including finance, transport and health.
“The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority Caucus in Parliament will, in due course, remind Ghanaians of the tragic situation of the country under the NPP government. The financial system collapsed, the Ghana cedi depreciated at unprecedented levels, and inflation eroded family incomes,” the statement noted.
It added that senior high schools frequently failed to reopen due to the lack of funds for school feeding, while hospitals turned away patients because of persistent delays in National Health Insurance Authority claims payments.
The statement further disclosed that when Parliament reconvenes on February 3, 2026, the NDC Majority Caucus would request a detailed audit of the One District One Factory (1D1F) policy to establish the companies that benefited from tax exemptions and how those exemptions were utilised.
According to the statement, the audit was necessary as the policy failed to deliver the expected outcomes.
BY BENJAMIN
ARCTON-TETTEY
Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
