I am being careful about aspects of Ghanaian culture and training where the young ones are not to allow to question the elderly even when he or she is wrong. I am not to show disrespect but let me depart from the norms to ask what competencies did Ghana’s longest Finance Minister deliver when he was the Finance Minister from 1982 to 1995 in the history of Ama Ghana?
Where was your 4 Economic Solutions when former President Rawlings, former President Mills and former President Mahama were messing up the Ghanaian economy?
Prof. Kwesi Botchwey was appointed by former President Rawlings to stabilize the economy post Coup De’tat but how come your own proposed 4 solutions couldn’t restore Ghana’s economic stability between 1982-1995 under your tenure as the Finance Minister?
These your current 4 solutions to restore Ghana’s economic stability were adopted by Mr Rawlings yet failed, the same was adopted by Mills/Mahama yet failed. All of them after implementing your 4 key solutions still runs to IMF for bailout. So what is the guarantee that your 4 solutions will work this time around?
What was the structure and architecture of the Ghanaian economy under his watch as Finance Minister?
Within the 13 years period as Minister of Finance, what measures did he put in place to grow the Ghanaian economy?
Within the 13 years period, was he able to propose any policy geared towards digitalizing the Ghanaian economy?
If he was that sound economically, how come he mismanaged the economy to the extent that Ghana has to run to IMF several times under him as the Minister of Finance?
If he was that financial and economic genius, how come Ghana has to run to HIPC post his tenure as the Minister of Finance?
If he was that good how come he couldn’t properly help John Mahama to handle the economy and its associated “Dumsor” and heavily distressed banking/financial sector under the NDC administration?
If he is that superb, how come John Mahama and NDC even after Senchi Economic Forum still went to the IMF for economic bailout?
Highest average depreciation of the cedi, high inflation rate, high policy rate, high interest rates, astronomical rise of the exchange rate, highest unemployment rate, Zero Free SHS Policy, Zero Industrialization drive, Energy crisis etc. were the economic records under your tenure as Minister of Finance between 1982-1995 as well as between the period of your Mills/Mahama’s Government
He was talking about borrowing, how much did Prof. Kwesi Botchwey borrowed as the sector Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and what were the results for his borrowing?
If Prof. Kwesi Botchwey cares to know, most of the borrowing done by Akufo-Addo’s Government are used in servicing the reckless borrowing of Rawlings-Mills-Mahama administrations. Part of the money borrowed has also been used to save the banking/financial sector of the economy which was collapsed under Mahama’s Government.
Akufo-Addo’s Government is addressing the longtime mess Kwesi Botchwey’s NDC created between 1982-1995 and 2009-2016, so respectfully uncle Kwesi Botchwey should just exercise patience.
Uncle Kwesi Botchwey should also not forget that apart from our local challenges as a country, we have been confronted with external difficulties such as global COVID-19 crisis and Russia-Ukraine war.
Lastly, setting the record straight, the NPP Government is NOT vindictive as the inner circle friends of Prof. Kwesi Botchwey told him. We only intelligently counter critics with their own track records when they were holding public office just like himself who couldn’t properly advise Mr Rawlings, Prof. Mills and Mr Mahama to run the country’s economy better.
I would like to respectfully draw the attention of Prof. Kwesi Botchwey that, his own economic track record as the Minister of Finance for solid 13 years defeats the purpose of his new 4 solutions to restore Ghana’s economic stability.
Yes, the IMF is not the option for reviving the economy because it has proven as not the best option under your tenure as longest Finance Minister for 13 years, and under 27 years of PNDC/NDC Government.
The best homegrown strategy to revive the economy post COVID-19 and instance of Russia-Ukraine war is E-levy. And it is very essential for Ghanaians to support the E-levy.
