Downsizing Government: President is already on course - NPP Communicator

Government communicator, Kofi Tonto has sided with the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) over their request for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to downsize his government.

The Council has appealed to the President to reduce the number of his Ministers and appointees and cut down on expenditure to build confidence to address the country's economic challenges.

"This should include the government explicitly and verifiably cutting down on its expenditure, including reducing the size of government, among other areas. This is very critical to encourage the buy-in of the public,” a communique issued at the end of the GPCC’s Conference of Heads of Churches and Organisations (CHCO) Extraordinary National Delegates Conference said.

Contributing to "Kokrokoo" panel discussion show on Peace FM, Kofi Tonto stated that the GPCC has a valid point that needs the attention of the President, explaining that, in the political optics, reducing the size of the government will help the economy as well as benefit the New Patriotic Party(NPP) in next year's general elections.

He elucidated that as the government is telling Ghanaians to cooperate with them in implementing its debt restructuring measures aimed at revamping the economy, it is equally incumbent on the government to empathize with the populace and make efforts to palliate their plight.

"You do something to optically show the person that you are also making an effort. In that regard, I think it's a good proposal and the government must accept and make some effort in the space of optics to show that we also take part of the burden share," he said.

He, however, noted that when it comes to downsizing the government, the President is already on course stating he has reduced the number of his Ministers from 110 to 86 and cut down on expenditure by introducing a 30 percent cut on salaries of his officials.

"When you take the budget we are running for this year, when it comes to goods and services, the government has made 20% expenditure cut in goods and services. So, I feel the government has shown commitment in this regard," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.

However, he noted that, "if Ghanaians are not convinced, I think it spoils nothing for the government to interact with them and show them what we have done and what we can add, we add it up because if we can bring the economy on the right path, we need all Ghanaians to join".

He asked the President to take the GPCC's request "in good faith and we must do everything to ensure Ghanaians will come on board with us in this forward movement we are making to bring the economy on the right path".