Deputy Finance Minister, Hon. Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has taken a direct swipe at the NPP Minority in Parliament, dismissing their criticisms of the government’s economic performance as empty rhetoric lacking substance and vision.
Delivering the concluding statement on the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review debate on behalf of the Finance Minister, the Asuogyaman MP argued that the ongoing economic recovery under President John Dramani Mahama is the result of bold, disciplined, and deliberate policymaking—not media engagements or recycled political slogans.
“Mr. Speaker, let our friends on the other side take note: recovery is not achieved through press conferences. It is not found in recycled rhetoric or speculative pessimism. It is earned—through policy, perseverance, and performance,” he asserted.
His remarks were clearly aimed at the NPP Minority, many of whom have publicly questioned the sustainability and impact of the government’s recent economic gains.
But the Deputy Minister insisted that the evidence of recovery is undeniable and has been achieved despite persistent global headwinds.
“Unlike his immediate predecessors, the Finance Minister did not blame the economy’s performance on any external factors during his one-and-a-half-hour presentation. In fact, the Russia-Ukraine war is still ongoing,” he noted, adding that other global pressures such as conflict in the Middle East and trade tensions have not derailed Ghana’s progress.
Hon. Nyarko Ampem accused the previous NPP administration of plunging the country into a crisis marked by unsustainable debt, loss of investor confidence, and worsening living conditions.
“We all recall how a certain ‘driver’s mate’ took control of the economy and recklessly drove it into a ditch,” he said, in a thinly veiled reference to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
He listed eight major failings of the previous government, including “deep debt distress,” “rising cost of living,” and “massive, uncontrolled corruption”—the latter cited from a past statement by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
He contrasted that with the current administration’s stewardship, highlighting what he described as 205 days of sustained macroeconomic stability under President Mahama.
“These gains are not episodic,” he explained. “They are the fruits of carefully crafted and boldly implemented economic policies, anchored on discipline, vision, and a deep sense of responsibility to the Ghanaian people.”
“This marks the end of an era of empty political sloganeering. We remain unwavering in our commitment to deliver stable prices and decent jobs for our fellow countrymen and women.”
He concluded with an emphatic declaration of the government’s progress and direction:
“Ghana is rising again. The foundation is being rebuilt, the confidence is returning, and the momentum of our recovery is becoming stronger.”
Finance Ministry
