The Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Kwaku Kwarteng, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to make bold and unpopular economic decisions without worrying about electoral fallout.
In an interview with Citi Eyewitness News, which was monitored by Ghanaianradar.com, the former deputy finance minister dismissed concerns that enforcing fiscal discipline and holding taxpayers accountable would cost the government votes.
According to Mr. Kwarteng, President Mahama was well-positioned to implement long-overdue reforms, but has shown little indication of pursuing meaningful policy changes.
He noted that critical areas such as the wage bill and interest payments remain largely unaddressed, with the current approach being “business as usual”.
“The idea that being tough on tax evaders and cutting unnecessary spending will lose you an election is a myth. President Mahama should take this opportunity to make the hard decisions Ghana needs,” Kwarteng said. He urged the President to take decisive action on the country’s expenditure profile, citing the wage bill and interest payments as areas requiring urgent attention.
“So far, we haven’t seen any significant changes. If we can’t discuss concrete policy shifts, then it’s more of the same. I’m calling on the President to take bold steps – the country needs them, and you’re not running for re-election,” Mr. Kwarteng added.
