The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said the Akufo-Addo government’s sole vision is to make the lives of Ghanaians better.
Appearing before the 8-member ad hoc Committee of Parliament hearing the motion of censure brought against him, he asserted that the government is determined to achieve the realisation of this vision.
“I would like to make a personal comment to the Ghanaian people: Since the Akufo-Addo government came into office in 2017, everything we have sought to do was aimed at making the lives of the people better.
“We have been focused on this vision to improve lives and in the first four years, our efforts were leading to a realisation of the vision,” he said.
Mr Ofori-Atta stated that it was not the government’s intention to put Ghanaians through any form of hardship.
He used the opportunity to apologise to the citizenry for bearing the brunt of the ongoing economic turmoil.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell Ghanaians what this country and every Finance Minister around the world may wish to say to the Ghanaian people now. I am truly sorry.”
Ghana is currently in the midst of intensifying hardship, skyrocketing fuel prices, a rising cost of living and a depreciating cedi.
Increases in food prices, housing, electricity and fuel have pushed the inflation rate to 40.4 per cent.
Food inflation is currently the highest among all the components as against non-food inflation according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
Prices of petrol and diesel at the pumps currently are ¢16.07 per litre and ¢20.25 per litre respectively.
Ghanaians are reeling under this cost of living crisis and calling for a pragmatic solution.