#GhBudget: 2019 has been a good year for Ghana

Despite the economic hardships Ghanaians complain about, the government has categorically stated that its hard work has made 2019 a rather good year for the citizenry.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has touted the government’s achievement over what he says is the significant economic gains the government has achieved in terms of employment, agriculture, businesses and other sectors of the economy.

Presenting the 2020 Budget Statement on the Floor of Parliament on Wednesday, Mr. Ofori-Atta said economic data collected show that the government’s commitment to improving the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian has now become crystal clear and yielding positive results.

“2019 has been a very good year for Ghana. God’s blessings of our hard work are beginning to manifest…We have quietly but incontestable, achieved significant structural changes for the country. We have delivered on our flagship programs. The gains made so far are significant and indeed to the glory of God. On May 1, 2017, I had the opportunity to present the budget statement to this House. The economy was in bad shape. Growth in agriculture was slowing…unemployment was rising and businesses and households were working mainly to pay bills.”

Government continues to claim that it has turned around the poor fundamentals of Ghana’s economy in less than three years.

The consequences of this turnaround, the government explains has made Ghana one of the fastest-growing economies not just on the continent, but also in the world, with this year seeing a 7.6% growth.

The Finance Minister continued:

“I say so because we have won some painful but necessary battles for God and country. We have stabilised the micro economic turbulence that was all too regular a feature in the management of the national economy. We have delivered on our flagship program. The Gains made so far are significant and it is indeed to the glory of God”.

Ghana’s economy records 6.7% growth in first quarter

Provisional figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in June 2019 revealed that Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2019.

This is compared to the same period in 2018 which was at 5.4 percent.

The non-oil GDP growth for the first quarter of 2019 was at 6.0 percent year-on-year compared to 4.2 percent recorded in the first quarter of 2018.

Minority disagrees

However, the Minority in Parliament discredits the government’s claims of having turned Ghana’s economy from an ailing to a promising one.

It argues that figures such as the budget deficit provided by government officials in comparison with the NDC’s performance in 2016 are not a true reflection of the facts.