Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has stated that the reason he decided to ignore requests for his resignation was based on his primary commitment to serving the citizens of Ghana.
He admitted that the Minority’s motion of censure calling for his removal shook him a bit, but he stayed on the job due love for the country.
During an interview on GTV, Mr. Ofori-Atta stated that it was my responsibility to see through Ghana’s rescue bailout with the IMF.
“In the period of censure, in which Parliament then voted against it, but more importantly, you were in a situation where you were battered and broken. But you do not leave a ship at that time. And given the urgency of ensuring the IMF programme goes through, for me, it was a duty to serve, and there was no running away from it,” he said.
The Finance Minister came under fire in 2022 from members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who blamed him for the country’s economic woes. The National Democratic Congress also submitted a censure motion demanding his dismissal, citing issues of severe incompetence and a conflict of interest.
Ken Ofori-Atta reported that the One District, One Factory policy has resulted in the creation of over 160,000 jobs for Ghanaians in his mid-year budget to Parliament.
According to him, as of June 2023, 126 factories located throughout 58 districts were actively producing goods for sale, with the goal of providing employment for the country’s large youth population that was previously without employment.
“Mr. Speaker, in line with the government’s unwavering commitment to industrialization, the implementation of the flagship One District, One Factory (1D1F) Initiative is on course. As of June 2023, 126 factories were operational nationwide. Over 160,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created, especially for the youth who have been mobilised to establish agro-processing factories in 58 districts,” Ofori-Atta stated.
The goal of the 1D1F program, which is being led by the private sector, is to make it less difficult for businesses to set up in the country’s various regions by providing them with easy access to financing from banks and other government agencies.
According to Ministry of Finance sources, the nation’s current transformation and growth programme, which includes the energy and cocoa sector reform agenda, is meant to address immediate policy and money issues and move the country towards greater stability and prosperity.
