Accra, Ghana – Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has revealed that Ghana’s economic situation is far worse than initially anticipated, even beyond the projections made during the election period.
Briefing the media after the government’s first Cabinet Meeting, he emphasized that while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had campaigned on the premise of a deteriorating economy, the true extent of the crisis was confirmed when the Finance Minister presented his briefing to Cabinet.
“The final briefing was made by the minister responsible for finance. As you may be aware, we campaigned strongly on Ghana’s failing economy and indeed our fears were borne out when the finance minister made his briefing,” he said.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu underscored the gravity of the economic crisis but reassured the public that the leadership of President John Mahama, coupled with the policies being put in place, would turn the situation around.
“The situation is dire, and the numbers are even worse than we had known in the period of the elections, but the minister, the president, and others involved in the management of the economy were confident that the proposals, the policy propositions, and the program that President Mahama has put on the table were sufficient to turn around the situation and lift the pole of economic hardship and despair that has hung over this country and its people all these years under the New Patriotic Party, where economic mismanagement and imprudent decision-making was commonplace,” he stated.
First Cabinet Meeting Sets Governance Agenda
The government held its first Cabinet Meeting since assuming office on Thursday, 20th February 2025, with President John Dramani Mahama presiding as Chairman.
The meeting set the stage for governance and policy implementation.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu hinted that President Mahama would soon deliver his State of the Nation Address, which would provide a comprehensive assessment of the economic situation and outline the administration’s plans for economic revival.
“In a few days’ time, President Mahama will be addressing Parliament, will be delivering a message on the state of the nation to Parliament, and he will take the opportunity to delve deep into our current economic state, what we inherited, and what plans there are going forward to ensure economic revival and resuscitation,” he said.
Following the President’s address, the government will convene the National Economic Dialogue, bringing together key stakeholders to deliberate on the state of the economy and develop a roadmap for recovery.
“A few days after that, the National Economic Dialogue will take place from the 3rd to 4th March, and there too, various stakeholders in our economy, drawn from academia, civil society organizations, public servants, public officials, and other interested parties in the Ghanaian economy, will meet to deliberate on the state of affairs. Further insights will be shared on the state of the economy and how we can collectively achieve consensus on the steps that need to be taken to ensure that we get out of the situation and are on the road to rapid economic growth and development,” he explained.
Finance Minister to Present First Budget
Felix Kwakye Ofosu also announced that following the National Economic Dialogue, the Finance Minister would present the government’s first budget to Parliament on March 11, outlining the administration’s economic policies and recovery strategies.
“And then on the 11th of March, the Finance Minister will present his first budget, which would again explain the situation and indicate what government’s policies are in respect of the economy and what measures will be rolled out going forward to achieve the objective of getting us out of this economic mess,” he stated.
Composition of Cabinet
During the media briefing, Felix Kwakye Ofosu also clarified the constitutional requirement for Cabinet composition.
“The constitutional requirement is that the Cabinet must be made up of 19 ministers. And so the first point of business is to put together this body of 19 ministers chaired by the President himself,” he explained.
List of Cabinet Ministers
The 19 cabinet ministers, as outlined by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, include:
– Minister for Finance
– Minister for the Interior
– Minister for Health
– Minister for Defense
– Attorney General and Minister for Justice
– Minister for Energy and Green Transition
– Minister for Education
– Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry
– Minister for Lands and Natural Resources
– Minister for Foreign Affairs
– Minister for Food and Agriculture
– Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations
– Minister for Roads and Highways
– Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology
– Minister for Works, Housing, and Water Resources
– Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs
– Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection
– Minister for Transport
– Minister for Labor, Jobs, and Employment
Ministers in Attendance
In addition to the core Cabinet ministers, other ministers were present at the meeting. Felix Kwakye Ofosu provided details on those who attended.
“So the following ministers were in attendance at Cabinet today: the Minister of Sports and Recreation, the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, the Minister of State in Charge of Special Initiatives, and my good self, the Minister of State responsible for Government Communications, the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, and the Minister of State for Public Sector Reforms. So this essentially is the composition of those who attended Cabinet today in addition to the Cabinet ministers,” he stated.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites
) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 
