We expected Akufo-Addo to reduce his large gov’t — Minority to boycott vetting of new Deputy Trade Minister nominee

The Minority Caucus in Ghana's Parliament has announced that it will boycott the upcoming vetting of President Nana Akufo-Addo's nominee for Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, July 2, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson said the caucus was refusing to participate in vetting Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo, MP for Achiase, who has been nominated for the post.

Dr. Forson cited the already "large size" of the Akufo-Addo government and its "poor economic performance" as reasons for their decision.

He said "With ordinary Ghanaians going through excuciating hardships and businesses relocating from Ghana as a result of the high tax regime created by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, one would have expected the President to downsize his already large government.”

“This would have sent a signal to the people that President was mindful of the economic realities and was willing to do things differently to restore the needed confidence in the economy,” noted the NDC MPs.

The Minority Leader added that nominating an additional minister at this time "demonstrates a lack of appreciation of the economic mess that his government has unleashed on Ghanaians as a result of its bad economic policies."

"We will not, and cannot, take part in a decision to further burden the already suffering Ghanaian, especially when the president is unmindful of the financial consequences of his bloated government,” they stressed.