Economic hardship: Don't compare Ghana to Sri Lanka, they can't even import medicine - Dr. Okoe-Boye

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has said though things are currently very difficult worldwide, Ghana stands in a better position than most countries.

As such we all need to come on board and find solutions to our predicament instead of making noise.

He admitted to the severity of hardship in the country but said it is partly as a result of the COVID pandemic.

However, he said it is time we find ways to close the serious debt accumulated over the COVID period due to the measures government took to cushion its citizens.

"If Akufo-Addo sacks or closes ten ministries and put them under other ones, the savings we will make (though every money is important) won't be significant to put the fiscal space in order ... unless you stop other projects, programmes before we can have huge savings, people should get it," he said.

According to him, for instance, if we are spending $ 2 billion annually on the Free SHS and it is stopped that is huge, but the impact of that savings will bring greater hardship, and beyond the hardship, it will put people at greater risk.

He reiterated that though it is true the world has become difficult, Ghana is doing much better.

"I have travelled to other countries and there are places even money to import fuel for their turbines to generate electricity they don't have... people now liken Ghana to Sri Lanka, heerh!... do you know what is happening in Sri Lanka, even money to import medicine they don't have, their central bank have not got forex, it takes this government $ 400 million to make all fuel products available in Ghana," he said.