Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam
The Minister for Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has offered a heartfelt apology to Ghanaians for the hardships they have endured due to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
According to the Minister, it was never the government’s intention to impose hardships on Ghanaians, but rather a crucial decision to put the economy on recovery path.
This apology comes after Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong and Obuasi West MP Kwaku Kwarteng advised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to acknowledge their mistakes and apologize to Ghanaians.
During a town hall meeting in Accra on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, Dr. Amin Adam explained that the DDEP was a necessary requirement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restructure Ghana’s debts.
Dr. Adam’s apology and explanation demonstrate the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, acknowledging the challenges faced by Ghanaians while emphasizing the importance of debt restructuring for the economy’s recovery.
The Finance Minister highlighted the success of the DDEP, achieving 95% participation, and expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for their support.
He acknowledged the sacrifices made by the people and appealed for forgiveness, stating: “We decided to restructure our debts because it was one of the requirements by the IMF… It was a necessary, very important decision at the time… The decisions we made, and all the support you gave us during the DDEP have contributed largely to the recovery our economy is seeing today…”.
“This is why I want to appeal to you to forgive us. But also to thank you on behalf of the president for the sacrifices, for the efforts that you all have made participating in the DDEP that saved our economy,” he noted.
The DDEP was part of the government’s efforts to reduce its debt burden and improve debt sustainability.
-BY Daniel Bampoe