The Founding Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., says it will largely benefit the President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government if it refrains from engaging in the parade of false hopes amidst the present predicament.

According to him, the government’s many promises especially one to secure a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been unfruitful from the onset yet it keeps propagating the contrary.

His comment was on the back of a seemingly positive hope inspired by the Finance Ministry which suggests that the government is near securing a $30 million deal with the IMF.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Wednesday, 12th April 2023, Mr. Pratt further expressed worry about the ceaseless promises on petroleum products seeing a tangible fall in price.

He described it as weird, given the time the country finds itself.

“I’m hearing all kinds of promises, indeed weird promises. Look, a few days after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has substantially cut production, now the government is telling us to expect petroleum prices to dip.”

Mr. Pratt also questioned the country’s quest to engage in a de-dollarization programme as a means to stabilize the economy as ungrounded, stating that the call by Ghana for such a programme is out of place and lacks critical analysis.

“What will be the impact of this de-dollarzation programme on our currency? Who has done any analysis? So, we just keep raising hopes and dashing hopes all the time.”

He alluded that the government does not hold the moral right to offer false promises to its citizens owing that it has a credibility of failing on its promises.

“I don’t think it is even in the interest of [the] government at this stage to be raising false hopes.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Pratt insisted that the government’s constant false hopes to Ghanaians offer respite for a while but did not tackle the issue.

“We are being told that…look..  if we clinch this deal as being suggested in May, the high cost of living is likely to come down. How is that possible? The price of kenkey will come down? The price of fish should come down? ”

However, he wants the government to come up with pragmatic and feasible measures to solve the current economic woes and not be fixated on promises only.

By Leonora Enyonam Annoh | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana