2019 has been a good year for Ghana according to Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta

This is despite the economic hardships Ghanaians have been complaining about throughout the year.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said the government made some significant economic gains in terms of employment, agriculture, businesses and other sectors of the economy.

He said this during his presentation of the 2020 Budget Statement on the Floor of Parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Ofori-Atta explained that per the economic data collected the government’s commitment to improving the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian is yielding positive results.

“2019 has been a very good year for Ghana. God’s blessings of our hard work are beginning to manifest…We have quietly but incontestable, achieved significant structural changes for the country. We have delivered on our flagship programs. The gains made so far are significant and indeed to the glory of God. On May 1, 2017, I had the opportunity to present the budget statement to this House. The economy was in bad shape. Growth in agriculture was slowing…unemployment was rising and businesses and households were working mainly to pay bills.”

He added that the outcome of the government’s economic turnaround has made Ghana one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with this year seeing a 7.6% growth.

The Finance Minister continued: “I say so because we have won some painful but necessary battles for God and country. We have stabilised the micro economic turbulence that was all too regular a feature in the management of the national economy. We have delivered on our flagship program. The Gains made so far are significant and it is indeed to the glory of God”.

Ghana’s economy records 6.7% growth in the first quarter

In June 2019, provisional figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) showed that Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 6.7% in the first quarter of 2019.

This is compared to the same period in 2018 which was at 5.4%.

The non-oil GDP growth for the first quarter of 2019 was 6% year-on-year compared to 4.2% recorded in the first quarter of 2018.