Over Hardship, Ghana Cuts Political Appointees’ Salaries By 30%
By Alabidun Shuaib Abdulrahman
The Government of Ghana has announced that it will reduce the salary of political appointees by up to 30% as part of efforts to alleviate the country’s financial woes.
The presidency also announced on Twitter on Wednesday that it will inject $2 billion into the economy to “rescue the cedi” currency.
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The West African country is facing rampant inflation, a depreciating local currency and a heavy debt burden that has dented investor confidence and could build up into a debt crisis.
The cedi has weakened by about 20% against the dollar this year, exacerbating its problems.
The announcement from President Nana Akufo-Addo follows the central bank’s decision on Monday to hike its main lending rate by 250 basis points to 17%, the largest increase in Ghana’s history.
Ghana was long seen as a rising star among Africa’s emerging market economies, but underwhelming oil revenues and supply chain disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic have dampened expectations.
The presidency also wrote on Twitter that the cabinet had agreed to reopen land borders within two weeks, lifting measures imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters)
