Member of Parliament for Subin, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has revealed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not taking Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, seriously.
According to him, some comments made by Ken Ofori-Atta concerning the IMF and international rating agencies have caused a dent in the Finance Minister’s credibility. As a result, he stated that this makes him unfit to lead the country’s financial team to negotiate.
“Where we find ourselves today, it is about credibility. The IMF is not taking Ken Ofori-Atta seriously no matter what anybody says. We still have not been able to achieve anything. If we’re going to get any money into the system it’ll probably be in January thereabout. But we are sinking, we are sinking.”
Eugene Boakye Antwi
Reacting to comment on calls for the Finance Minister to resign by the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Opoku Ansah, who suggested that Ken-Ofori Atta’s continuous stay in office was delaying the IMF bailout the country is seeking, Mr Antwi indicated that a fresh face in the Finance Minister’s office will renew confidence in the country’s economic recovery programme and quicken the IMF negotiations.
The Subin legislator noted that the NPP’s mantra of “we have the men, we have the men”, has made government a “laughing stock”.
“… We do have the men, so President Akufo-Addo should deploy the men. We do have the men in the party. What kind of education has Ofori-Atta got? What kind of exposure has he got that others haven’t got? This is where we’re coming.”
Eugene Boakye Antwi
Calls for removal of finance minister
Mr Antwi explained that sometimes by just placing a new person on the seat, it will bring “confidence back to the economy” and help stabilize the markets for government to engage in negotiations with a firm request.
“And as I have said to several stations, we’re running a democracy; we’re not running a family dynasty, that’s what people must get into their heads. This party is not just about a certain group of people or a person, this party is about all of us.”
Eugene Boakye Antwi
Mr Antwi highlighted that the call by some NPP MPs for the removal of Finance Minister is to address assertions by President Akufo-Addo that the demand is political. He stated that it is time for the President to acknowledge that the demand is from Ghanaians and not just the opposition NDC.
“A month or two ago, the President was in the northern part of Ghana, where he said that those calling for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta were NDC people. So, we have to demonstrate to him after spending three months in our respective constituencies that our constituents have sent us to come and deliver to him a very cold message that Ken Ofori-Atta must be asked to step aside. That is where we find ourselves and for anybody to say that what we did today at Parliament House is not in the best interest of the party or government needs to re-examine themselves.”
Eugene Boakye Antwi
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