Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has sharply criticized the government’s newly unveiled reserve accumulation policy.
He dismissed it as irrelevant theorizing while Ghanaians, particularly the youth, struggle with unemployment.
His rebuke came on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, shortly after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the Ghana Accelerated National Reserve Accumulation Policy (GANRAP).
The policy aims to bolster Ghana’s international reserves to cover 15 months of imports by the end of 2028, a move the Minister argued is crucial for safeguarding macroeconomic stability and supporting long-term structural transformation.
However, the Minority Leader was unconvinced. Taking his turn to respond, Mr. Afenyo-Markin dismissed the announcement as a distraction from the government’s core campaign promises.
“The finance minister came here to talk to us about some 15-month import cover; we are not interested in his economic theories,” he stated emphatically.
He insisted that the legislature and the Ghanaian public are more concerned with tangible results on job creation, specifically calling out the government’s flagship “one job, three shifts” pledge.
“The finance minister must know that this House is not interested in his new theories,” Afenyo-Markin continued. “The people of Ghana, starting from the youth, want to know: you promised them one job, three shifts. I expect you as a finance minister to come to this House to address efforts you are making to implement that. It has been one year; give us data on the number of people you have been able to employ under this promise.”
He further criticized the timing and priorities of the administration, questioning the value of long-term economic projections in the face of immediate hardships.
“You come to this House to tell us about a 15-month import cover when your people have no jobs,” the Minority Leader concluded.
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