A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Communications Team, Fiifi Boafo, has criticised the government’s Mid-Year Budget Review.

He argued that Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson of failed to address the implementation of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) flagship 24-hour economy policy.

Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Tuesday, July 28, Boafo argued that despite the government’s claims of improving macroeconomic indicators, many Ghanaians were are to experience meaningful improvements in their daily lives.

He stressed that the real measure of economic performance should be the living conditions of citizens rather than headline figures such as inflation and interest rates.

“The Finance Minister was loudly silent on the issue of 24-hour economy… because there’s nothing happening. With exception of speeches from the secretariat that is supposed to ensure that we have 24-hour economy, not a single institution is practically running a full-scale 24-hour economy.”

The NPP communicator questioned what he described as the government’s failure to fulfil its promises on job creation and the recruitment of teachers and nurses.

He said unemployment remains one of Ghana’s biggest challenges and argued that the government’s economic achievements would have little meaning if they do not translate into improved livelihoods for ordinary Ghanaians.

“If you tell me you’ve reduced inflation and move today, you don’t go to the market… A piece of tomato costs GH¢10. So where is the investment in agriculture?” he asked.

The NPP communicator also recalled past comments by Dr. Ato Forson while in opposition, saying the Finance Minister had previously argued that macroeconomic indicators alone should not be used to assess the state of the economy.

According to Boafo, the same standard should now be applied to evaluate the current government’s economic performance.