Timing of Bawumia’s lecture inappropriate - Economist

Professor Lord Mensah, Associate Professor at the Department of Finance of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), has stated that the schedule for the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s address on the nation’s economy was flawed.

On Thursday, April 7, the Vice President delivered a lecture on the state of the country’s economy during the National TESCON Training and Orientation Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.

However, according to Prof. Lord Mensah, Veep’s speech was to deliver vital information on Ghana’s economic dynamic. He shared that when presented earlier could have prevented the controversies with the passage of the e-levy, hence the delay was unfair to Ghanaians.

Speaking on ‘Happy Morning Show’, the economist described Bawumia’s speech as “more or less a situational report on the economy. His speech was to tell us where our economy stands, where it was and where it’s headed to. It was more or less addressing the state on the economic dynamics of the country and how it’s being impacted by the global shocks, like the Russia-Ukraine war and the covid effects.”

“This was information to the public and as an economic manager, I think that the information was delayed than expected. Looking at the management of economics, the dynamics of the information we don’t take it for granted especially when it’s coming from the head of the management of the economy. Therefore, the timing for the information is very important and, in this case, quite a problem,” he alluded.

Prof. Lord Mensah indicated that he had no qualms with the content. However, he believes that the delivery has further depreciated the confidence Ghanaians had in the ruling government.

“I don’t have a problem with the content that came but just a few comments I think would have helped if he added that. With the kind of packaging he brought I think the confidence of Ghanaians decreased because at a time it looked like we didn’t have control over some of the things that are happening as a manager,” he stressed.