Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annor Dompreh, has called on Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson to appear before Parliament to explain the economic hardship many Ghanaians are experiencing.
Raising the issue on the floor of Parliament, Mr Dompreh argued that despite government claims of economic improvement, the lived realities of ordinary citizens tell a different story.
According to him, traders, farmers, doctors, nurses and market women across the country are struggling, even as the government highlights improvements in the cedi-dollar exchange rate and reductions in fuel prices.
He noted that poor patronage in markets has led to goods and commodities going bad, as many Ghanaians no longer have enough money to spend.
The Minority Chief Whip stressed that Members of Parliament represent ordinary citizens and must therefore raise their concerns for clarity and accountability.
Mr Dompreh further questioned government claims that the economy is on a positive trajectory, pointing out that electricity tariffs have increased by about 27 per cent since the current administration took office.
Responding to the claims, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mahama Ayariga, dismissed the Minority’s assertions, insisting that the government has stabilised the economy and that prices of goods and services have declined.
He questioned whether the Minority engages with markets across the country, arguing that ordinary Ghanaians who consume staples such as kenkey, kokonte and fish are aware that food prices have reduced.
The exchange added to growing parliamentary debate over the true state of the economy and whether recent macroeconomic gains are translating into tangible relief for households.
