Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, widely known as NAPO and the 2024 running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has cast doubt on claims of economic recovery in Ghana, pointing to rising prices of key commodities despite the Ghanaian cedi’s recent appreciation against the US dollar.
In comments monitored by MyNewsGH, Dr. Prempeh took aim at the economic narrative being promoted by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). He questioned the disconnect between a stronger cedi and the persistent increase in the cost of essential items, specifically cement.
“You have to ask yourself: what exactly is improving?” he remarked. “When the dollar was GHS 15, a bag of cement sold for GHS 90. Today, with the dollar at about GHS 11, the same bag costs GHS 140. How do you justify that?”
He further argued that the cedi’s recent gains have not benefited the average consumer. By comparing prices in dollar terms, he noted that the cost of cement had effectively more than doubled—from roughly $6 to $14 per bag—despite the currency’s appreciation.
Dr. Prempeh stressed that economic performance should not be evaluated based solely on exchange rates. “Managing an economy goes beyond momentary gains. It requires assessing the entire structure and how it affects daily life,” he said.
He also challenged the assumptions behind government revenue projections, criticizing the Finance Minister’s decision to base estimates on a higher exchange rate of GHS 15 to the dollar. He suggested that the cedi’s current strength may not necessarily translate into higher revenue.
“All the projections were built around that rate. Even if more dollars come in now, their cedi value falls short of what was originally expected,” he explained.
Dr. Prempeh’s remarks add to the ongoing debate over the true state of Ghana’s economy, highlighting concerns about inflation, pricing dynamics, and the reliability of economic forecasts.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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