Ghana: in the face of the crisis, 30% reduction in government salaries

#Other countries : The government of Ghana announced on Thursday a 30% reduction in the salaries of ministers and the president, among other measures intended to reduce the deficit of this West African country, in the context of a global economic crisis.

“Developed or developing countries are busy making decisions to get their economies back on track, following the devastating impact of Covid-19…and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war,” the official said. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta at a press conference in Accra.

Apart from lowering the salaries of ministers and the president, he also announced an end to foreign travel for members of the government and the purchase of imported vehicles until the end of the year.

The government thus hopes to save around 360,000 euros.

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The minister also announced a 1.6% decrease in fuel prices in the face of the recent spike in oil prices caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In recent months, the West African country, a producer of cocoa and gold, has been trying to cope with the growing weight of its public debt (nearly 80% of its GDP), by imposing new taxes.

But he came up once morest resistance from Ghanaians, who are demonstrating once morest these taxes and to denounce their economic difficulties, in particular the ever more expensive cost of living.