Let us plan our lives without external aid – Deputy Finance Minister nominee

During his vetting before Parliament, Deputy Finance Minister-designate Thomas Nyarko Ampem stressed that Ghana must plan its future without external aid, citing the recent cancellation of $156 million in USAID funding.

He pledged to support the sector minister by leveraging digital technologies, including the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), to curb procurement breaches, control public expenditure, and enhance transparency across government agencies.

Ampem outlined targets to raise the tax revenue-to-GDP ratio from 13.8% to 18% and to reduce inflation from 23% to about 8%, aligning with key IMF programme indicators.

He also proposed using electronic systems to improve market toll collection and supporting the 24-hour economy policy by offering reduced electricity tariffs to private companies operating at night.