Bernard Allotey Jacobs has charged the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to hold consultative meetings with stakeholders in the finance sector as well as the Minority in Parliament.
According to him, the Minister is courting animosity for himself due to his failure to hold stakeholder engagements to discuss his financial projections.
The Finance Minister,on Monday, July 25, 2022, presented the the mid-year budget in Parliament.
Highlighting some financials, Mr. Ofori-Atta hinted that the government will be reintroducing road tolls and revealed the tolls will be collected on the Accra-Tema motorway when completed.
He said; "The Government of Ghana has made a strategic decision, in line with the Public Private Partnership Act, 2020 (Act 1039) to procure the Accra-Tema Motorway and Extensions Project through GIIF with a mandate to deliver a GIIF-led PPP financing solution, where maximum funds are raised from the market, but majority ownership of the project remains with GIIF on behalf of the Ghanaian Government."
Shedding more light on the reinstalling of the road tolls, he emphasized that "the completed road will be tolled to recover the whole life cost of the completed infrastructure as well as pay lenders and provide a return for equity investors".
"The draft Concession Agreement (CA) between GIIF and MoRH is currently under review by GIIF, MoRH, the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Finance. When completed, the CA is expected to be approved by the PPP Committee, Cabinet and Parliament...The Government of Ghana shall provide funding through GIIF to take equity in the Special Purpose Vehicle to be created by GIIF for the project," he added.
He touched on more relevant sectors of the economy, disclosing what the government is doing or has done to improve such sectors and also explained why Ghana's current situation is worsening.
However, some critics are calling for Ken Ofori-Atta to be reshuffled because to them, he is performing poorly.
Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Wednesday morning, Bernard Allotey Jacobs believed the Minister is disliked because he is not open.
"My problem with the Finance Minister is that he doesn't do public stakeholder engagements and I'm sure he doesn't hold consultations. For some of us, we see him as sitting on an empire. He is the final decider. So, you will see that he opens rooms, chances, doors for some people to be speaking against him which affects government," he said.
Allotey offered an advice to Mr. Ofori-Atta stating to him to "sit with the very captains of the economy. Have consultations with them and when you are done, you need to engage the opposition in Parliament. Just put the Finance Committee; meet them maybe at breakfast or dinner. Discuss issues with them because Ghana belongs to all of us".
"Engage the people. Talk to them. It will help the Nana Akufo-Addo government," he exclaimed.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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