Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated that the New Patriotic Party Akufo Addo led government has managed the public sector debt well.

He said “In the year 2000, Ghana’s total debt was around 9billion cedis and that was around 49 per cent. Just 9 billion debt got into HIPC that HIPC , At that time inflation was around 40 per cent,  interest rates were in that  range , exchange rate.

“Today, you are having a debt stock of 200billion cedis. We inherited a debt of 122 billion cedis  but if you look at the rate of increase in the debt stock  between 2016  and 2019  it is the lowest in a decade ,between 2019 and 2019, if you include the  banking sector  bailout  you have an increase in the debt stock  of 9.3% , if  you exclude the banking sector  it is at 3.9 per cent

Between 2018 and 2012  the rate of increase of b the debt stock  was 49 per cent , 2012 2016 was 19 per cent  for 2016 2019  we are talking about  3.9% if you  exclude the banking sector bailout , or 9.3 per cent if you  include it . So there is a lot of prudence notwithstanding the higher debt, levels but this debt levels are within a sustainable framework even though we have to manage.

He made these assertions on Peace FM’s Kokroko show hosted by Kwame Sefa Kayi on Tuesday August 25,2020

He added that, President Akufo-Addo has superior records in all sectors of the economy as against the records of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

He explained that the government have stabilize the economy in all sectors, slowed down the rate of debt accumulation and also reduced lending rate.

 “When we came into office Ghanaians were saddled with a lot of difficulties but we have been able to manage the economy, delivered a few solid records,Our fiscal deficit between 2016 and 2019, we brought it down , 6.8 to 4.8  per cent. Between 2016 and 2017 and 2019 we had surpluses  for three consecutive years  and that was first time in a decade.”He said

“First time in a decade that we have had that  then the rate of debt accumulation , increase in our debt  stocks has also slowed  down, decline  in inflation , interest  rate, we have also seen a decline in lending rate  from 32 to 23 per cent.

“The monetary policy rate  came down from 25  to 14.5 per cent , our trade surplus  between 2017 and  2019 , this is the first time  in two decades  that we have had trade surplus three consecutive  years .

“Our exchange rate depreciation, the rate of depreciation has been halved to 50 per cent less compared to what we inherited. That is a major achievement.”

Paa Kweku Eshun Talksafrica.com