Ofori-Atta is banking on boosting revenues via the politically unpopular Electronic Transactions Levy, which is yet to be passed in parliament. Higher tax receipts and the promised swingeing cuts to public spending will allow the government service its ballooning debts, but the fallout from such a move could cause more political headaches for President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.
Ofori-Atta and his team are also taking on international ratings agencies that have questioned Ghana’s economic trajectory. Moody’s has downgraded Ghana’s senior unsecured debt ratings to Caa1 from B3. It has forecast that the country’s debt ratios will continue to deteriorate in the short-term and constrain policy options.
“Moody’s estimates that government debt ended 2021 at 80% of GDP while interest payments alone consumed half of government revenue that year (positioning Ghana with the second largest
There's more to this story
Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
cancel anytime
Already a a subscriber Sign In
