Accra, Nov. 03, GNA – Mr Stanley S. Felten, a businessman, has urged government officials who enjoy ex-gratia to sacrifice those benefits this year towards supporting the local economy.
He said End of Service Benefits or Ex-Gratia of government functionaries constituted a large percentage of government revenue and that in view of the poor state of the economy, such benefits should be used for the greater good of the “majority poor”.
Mr Felten, who said this in a statement, quoted the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) report in 2024, which indicated that nearly one out of every four, some 7.3 million Ghanaians – were multi-dimensionally poor, facing deprivations in health, education, employment and living conditions, which the Government must take immediate action to address.
He said the economic situation continued to worsen and said government interventions were needed to enhance the lots of the populace, especially the very poor.
Mr Felten, the Chief Executive Officer of the African Art and Culture Development Company Limited, said one quick fix for the problem was for government functionaries to sacrifice their ex-gratia.
The Businessman bemoaned the illegal mining situation and said it was time the government committed more to the fight to save future generations.
He said water scarcity and the damaging farmlands and crops were burdening the plights of the poor and must be fixed.
Mr Felten asked the government to provide alternative livelihood for illegal miners and create jobs in the agric sector to revive the local economy and restore confidence in the country’s governance system.
GNA