Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Boamah, has called on the Bank of Ghana to suspend its continuous foreign exchange injections, arguing that the economy must be allowed to adjust naturally to reflect the true cost of living.
Mr Boamah raised concerns about the amount of money being used to stabilise the cedi, questioning the long term impact of such interventions on national development.
He pointed out that government has spent about 10 billion dollars to support the currency, describing the figure as excessive.
According to him, allowing the economy to run on its own could have saved the country significant funds that could be used for development projects.
Mr Boamah explained that he was speaking as a lay person and not as an economist, but insisted that strong and practical economic policies should reduce the need to constantly support the currency.
He questioned why the state would continue to hold up the cedi with huge sums of money instead of allowing the economy to stand on its own.
He stressed that the key issue is the cost of such interventions to the state and how that compares with Ghana’s pressing development needs.
The Okaikwei Central MP argued that the Bank of Ghana should reduce its role in propping up the currency and allow market forces to reflect the real state of the economy.
In his view, constant intervention only masks underlying problems and creates a false sense of stability.
Mr Boamah noted that while official figures indicate inflation is around five percent, prices of goods and services continue to rise, creating a disconnect between economic data and the lived reality of Ghanaians.
He cited the changing prices of basic items such as bottled water as an example of how cost of living does not align with inflation figures being presented.
He raised concerns about transport fares, questioning why drivers are arrested over pricing disputes while the cost of living keeps rising.
According to him, these everyday experiences highlight the need to look beyond economic statistics and focus on the real conditions people face.
Mr Boamah maintained that allowing the economy to run on its own would provide a clearer picture of Ghana’s economic health and help policymakers take more realistic decisions.
By: Jacob Aggrey
