Vice-President and flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has acknowledged the prevailing economic difficulties that beset Ghanaians.
Speaking during the party’s manifesto launch for the 2024 elections, Dr. Bawumia said the global crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic brought on untold hardship on Ghanaians.
While insisting that the NPP has been outstanding its handling of the affairs of the country especially the management of the economy, Dr. Bawumia admitted that continuous hikes in prices of goods and services and the unsustainable level of public debt between 2020 and 2022 made life unbearable for Ghanaians.
“Ghanaians were hit very hard by rising food prices, increased exchange rate depreciation, rising fuel prices and rising transport fares. Our debt became unsustainable and had to be restructured. Bondholders saw a sharp decline in their net worth following the painful yet unavoidable debt restructuring,” he said.
He said although government intervened with sound policies and has gotten the country out of the woods, many households in the country are still facing hardships.
“We faced very challenging times. But with calm leadership and the support and the understanding of the good people of Ghana, we have weathered the storm and economy is firmly on the path of recovery with increasing GDP growth and declining inflation.”
He added, “We know that for many families, the cost of living is still very high. The hardship is real. And we commit to doing moreto relief the difficulties Ghanaians are facing”.
He, therefore, pledged to do more to ease the difficulties and create jobs for especially the teeming youth of the country.
Despite the Akufo-Addo-led government’s insistence that it has created over 2 million jobs, Dr. Bawumia said youth unemployment in the country remains high.
