Impact of election petition dominates cabinet meeting
Deliberations at Cabinet meeting in Accra yesterday centred on the election petition and its impact on the economy.
Advertisement
The meeting also discussed the way forward for the economy.
The petition resulted in uncertainty in the country, as many investors held on to their investment and donor support dwindled.
Yesterday's Cabinet meeting was the first since the Supreme Court gave its judgement on the petition on August 29, 2013, in which it upheld the validity of President John Dramani Mahama’s victory in the 2012 presidential election.
Briefing journalists on the Cabinet meeting at the Flagstaff House in Accra, a Deputy Minister of Information and Media Relations, Mr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, said the eight-month election litigation had had a ''monumental'' effect on the economy and indicated that productivity was affected.
''People in business were holding on to their investment and were not prepared to do business in the country,'' he said.
For instance, the minister said, many countries asked their nationals to hold on till the end of the petition and indicated that most Western countries had evacuation plans.
Besides, he added, multi-donor budget funding for Ghana stopped completely.
''The eight-month litigation distracted the government, even though the government remained focused. The acceleration will have been greater,'' he said.
Mr Muhammed said with the completion of the petition, investor confidence would be boosted in the economy and indicated that the government remained focused on implementing its programmes and policies.
The deputy minister also said the government’s programmes would be geared towards creating job opportunities and improving socio-economic development.
He added that President Mahama had, therefore, urged all business operators to remain focused, as the government was bent on creating the enabling environment for them.
Touching on the Cabinet meeting, Mr Muhammed said the Cabinet would consider several bills and policy documents and mentioned the Property Right for Spouses and the Ghana Library Service bills as some of the bills to be considered by the Cabinet.
By Musah Yahaya Jafaru/Daily Graphic/Ghana
