"Akufo Addo’s Economy 'on Ventilators' after one Month of Covid-19" – Mahama
The former president says Akufo-Addo's economy could not stand the test of time
Jonas Danquah 
Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama says the much hyped economy by the Akufo-Addo government has been laid to waste by the coronavirus pandemic, after a month it hit the country.
According to him, Ghana’s economy is currently in Intensive Care following the impact of COVID-19.
The former President asserted this on Facebook live on Thursday, April 23, 2020, dubbed “John Mahama in a Digital Conversation.”
The former added that the Akufo-Addo economy is struggling because it was built on propaganda.
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Already, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has said the pandemic would cost Ghana’s economy some GHS9.5 billion cedis.
Parliament recently approved the spending of GHS1.2 billion from the Contingency Fund, to mitigate the impact of pandemic.
The IMF has also approved a credit facility of $1 billion dollars for the country to fight the pandemic and revive the economy through support to businesses.
Government has set aside a GHS600 million cedis loan package to revive struggling SMEs and has also offered some tax relief to health workers for three months, aside a 50% salary bonuses for frontline health workers.
“In reflecting on this question, this is one of the issues that we have continuously talked about that it is always necessary that when you are building an economy to have enough buffers and create fiscal space so that when you are faced with a shock or adversity, you are easily able to overcome it”.
“Unfortunately, this government has used a lot of propaganda saying the economy has been the best that we have ever had since independence. Unfortunately, just one month of coronavirus the economy is in ICU. If we didn’t run to the IMF for the one billion rapid credit facility, it is possible that in the next month probably salaries would not have been paid and so our economy is on ventilators, and it needs thinking to rescue it from the ICU,” Mahama said.
