The vice-president and presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged that under a Bawumia presidency, there will be not more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers.
Bawumia said an efficient system of governance will require fewer ministers, hence his decision to have a smaller government.
“I would have no more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers,” Bawumia said.
He also touched on the need to enhance the role of the private sector along with fiscal and administrative decentralisation while improving how systems and institutions function. This, he said, would lead to greater efficiency and ensure value for money in procurement.
“The move towards the private sector provision of many public services would create fiscal space of at least 3% of GDP. This represents a major paradigm shift. Additionally, an efficient system of governance will require even fewer ministers,” he added.
Fiscal responsibility
Dr Bawumia said his government will set up an independent fiscal responsibility council to reduce budget deficits and interest rates.
“To sustainably reduce the budget deficit and interest rates, my government will enhance fiscal discipline through an independent fiscal responsibility council, enshrined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2018 (Act 982).
“The Fiscal Responsibility Act will also be amended to add a fiscal rule that requires that budgeted expenditure in any year does not exceed 105% of the previous year’s tax revenue.
“This will prevent the experience of budgetary expenditures based on optimistic revenue forecasts which don’t materialise,” he said.
Creating jobs and wealth
Furthermore, he said, the Bawumia-led government will reduce the fiscal burden on the government by leveraging the private sector, following the successful rollout and/or enhancement of policies such as Free Senior High School (SHS) and Free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) etc during the tenure of Nana Akufo-Addo governments.
“With all these social safety nets in place, my government will now focus on jobs and wealth creation by the private sector for all Ghanaians. My administration will incentivise the private sector to complement government in the provision of many infrastructure and other services to reduce government expenditure and improve maintenance,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia’s lecture, which was broadcast on almost all television networks in Ghana, was also well attended by members of the diplomatic corps, the clergy, civil society organisations, NPP executives and a large cross-section of people from across the country.
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