By The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has assured Parliament of the Mahama administration’s commitment. The government is dedicated to cutting down expenditure. It has a lean team of fewer than 60 ministers and an equally reduced number of presidential staffers.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye defended the government’s decision while speaking in Parliament. The government decided to cap ministerial appointments at 60. This is a significant reduction from the 123 to 125 ministers under the previous administration.
He contrasted this with the 337 political appointees. They worked under former President Akufo-Addo. He argued that President Mahama’s administration prioritises efficiency and cost-saving.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye highlighted the financial relief that comes with maintaining a smaller government, saying:
“If you move from 123/125 ministers to 60 ministers, Mr Speaker, you will buy 60 fewer Land Cruisers. You are going to buy 60 less salon cars. You will need to provide 60 less bungalows. You will need to provide 60 less sets of political aides and research assistants and what have you.”
He added that the actual number of ministers currently in office is even lower than the promised 60, stating:
“Mr Speaker, President Mahama has not limited himself to just reducing the number of ministers. In any event that I speak to you, there are only 56 ministers. And in fact, they are 42 ministers running Ghana as we speak, because deputy ministers have not been approved.”
However, the debate in Parliament faced criticism from the opposition. This criticism came especially from the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor.
President Mahama has indeed appointed fewer than 60 ministers. However, Mr Jinapor claimed that the government has instead increased the number of presidential staffers at the Jubilee House. He implied that the administration is still bloated despite the cut in ministerial appointments.
The back-and-forth in Parliament highlights the ongoing debate over government size and expenditure. The Mahama administration seeks to balance governance efficiency with cost-cutting measures.
