PPP calls on govt to reduce appointees

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called for a reduction in the number of presidential staffers, ministers of state, and other government appointees to reduce public expenditure.

That, the party said, would be an indication that the government was committed to reduce the pressure on the public purse and set the tone to revive the economy.

Raft of measures

The National Chairman of the PPP, Nana Ofori Owusu, who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the government should reduce the number of ministers to 14, deputy ministers to less than 35; cut the executive cost by a minimum of 60 per cent and that of the Jubilee House staff by 60 per cent.

He further urged the government not to start any new project and complete all old ones, as well as suspend all non-essential projects, including the National Cathedral Project.

According to him, if the government wants a buy-in of the citizenry in its efforts to revive the economy, then it must show its commitment towards cutting expenditure.

He said these commitments on the side of the government to reduce expenditure should be made public for the citizenry to appreciate and rally their support towards the economic recovery efforts.

“These are the things that we need as a country now,” Nana Owusu Ofori stated.

The PPP National Chairman noted that as part of measures to resuscitate the ailing economy, there should also be a ban on the importation of non-essential goods reduction in taxes to encourage domestic production and restoration of indigenous financial institutions whose licenses were wrongfully taken away.

He said the Bank of Ghana should refuse to provide forex to importers of non essential goods.

Alliance

Nana Ofori Owusu stated that discussions into an alliance with political parties for the 2024 elections to defeat tyranny, tribal or family hegemony, nepotism, incompetence and winner takes all governance was underway.

“Our objective is to work with like-minded political parties to pursue inclusiveness, support Ghanaian enterprise, reform our democracy and put Ghana on the path of economic independence,” he said.

This alliance, he said, will become the voice of the voiceless, work to create jobs for the unemployed, rule of law and care for the people of Ghana.

Good governance

“Good governance is critical to nation building. It is as a result of this, the PPP believes the following: election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs); no Member of Parliament should become a minister of state or be on government boards and the like; free compulsory continuous basic education from Kindergarten to Senior High School, uninterrupted; total separation of the Minister of Justice from Attorney General,” he reiterated.