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Pressure on Ghana Statistical Service mounts: Mahama
Ayariga defends Mill's Gov’t
Audrey Micah, Ghanadot
Accra, Feb 6, Ghanadot - The ‘Statesman’ newspaper on its
Thursday edition reported that it has uncovered a desperate
attempt by the Mills administration to tamper with some
available, yet undisclosed, data about the national economy
to ‘buttress’ their false claim that the erstwhile New
Patriotic Party (NPP) government left behind a collapsed
economy.
According to the paper, in pursue of this, the economic
transition team is putting pressure on the Ghana Statistical
Service to reduce the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth rate for 2008.
The Statistical Service on the other hand has reported a
preliminary GDP growth for 2008 of 7.2 percent, which is the
highest in the nation’s recent history and the longest
sustained growth ever.
In a contrasted, the press secretary for President Mills,
Mahama Ayariga have debunked claims by the paper, saying
there is no reason why the Mills administration will but
pressure on the Service for something as important as the
country’s economy.
The paper revealed that an insider in the Mills
administration said that the figure on the growth of the
economy generated some heated arguments between Togbe Afede,
Chairman of the government economic transition team and Dr.
Kwabena Duffuor, Minister-designate for Finance and Economic
Planning when they met at Akosombo for an economic retreat.
But Mr. Ayariga explained that this did not take place,
adding that there is no fact in the report from the papers
and advised the editor to review the report.
“Let me state clearly, there was no disagreement or argument
between Togbe Afede and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor regarding the
GDP growth rate”.
Mr. Mahama Ayariga noted that the calculation of the GDP is
a scientific exercise which is not based on the calculation
of any individual, thus both parties can go back and look at
the factors that go into the calculation.
“I think there it is not possible for the incoming
administration to pressurize the Statistical Service to
present a wrong calculation of the GDP growth rate.
“The factors that goes into the calculation are factors that
are known to both sides and so if there is any disputes
about what the actual growth rate is, I think both parties
are capable of going back to look at the factors that go
into the calculations and then doing the calculations
themselves, then coming out with what they actually think
the growth rate is, but for any one to think the NDC
government is putting pressure on the Service is not fair”.
The paper maintained that the global economic crunch led to
increase investment in the country, with many Ghanaians
abroad bringing more money home for investment in treasury
bills which offered relatively higher yields, with over 20
percent interest rate, but the government spokesperson has a
different story to tell.
To him, “you could have 10 percent of GDP growth rate and
yet the economy can be in a bad shape, because of a number
of considerations. If the economy is up by 10 percent
because Ghanaians living abroad have sent some money, does
not mean your economy is in a good shape, an economy that is
in a good shape is the one that its productive sectors are
growing, the manufacturing sectors are growing, agricultural
sector, not just cocoa, but other aspects of agriculture are
growing thereby contributing towards the growth of your GDP.
“Now if it is just Ghanaians living abroad sending money
home and that is contributing to increase your GDP, it
doesn’t show that your economy is in a good shape”.
Ghanadot
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