'NDC said they did not need too many loans, but are now borrowing heavily' — Osahen Afenyo-Markin

The Minority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the government of engaging in excessive borrowing despite earlier criticisms by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against loans contracted by the previous administration.

He said the request for parliamentary approval of nearly $1 billion in loans in just a day contradicts the NDC’s previous position that Ghana did not need to rely heavily on external borrowing.

The Effutu lawmaker made the comments on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 21, while contributing to discussions on government’s request for approval of loan agreements.

"The NDC said they didn't want too much loans, Mr Speaker. But today, what we are witnessing now amounts to too much loans, Mr Speaker. To the extent that we are here being invited to approve almost $1 billion one day," he said.

Osahen Afenyo-Markin also defended the achievements of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, particularly in education, arguing that policies such as Free Senior High School (Free SHS) transformed access to education in Ghana.

He said the Akufo-Addo administration invested in educational infrastructure, STEM education and support for schools and still maintained other essential services.

"We introduced Free SHS. The Free SHS opened up the country for children who otherwise could not get access because their parents were poor to get access. The investment in educational infrastructure is unmatched," he stated.