Significant savings running into tens of millions of cedis have been achieved through cuts at the Presidency and a reduction in the size of government, according to Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.
Addressing journalists at Jubilee House, Mr Ofosu said President Mahama’s cost-saving measures had drastically reduced expenditure compared to the previous administration.
“At one point, there were about 125 ministers. Currently, we have 58,” he said, noting that even a simple comparison highlighted the scale of savings.
He detailed the cost implications of ministerial appointments, including official vehicles, accommodation, fuel, salaries and end-of-service benefits. “A standard Land Cruiser is about $120,000, and a saloon car is between $50,000 and $60,000,” he explained.
By cutting ministerial numbers, government avoided purchasing dozens of vehicles, refurbishing bungalows, paying rent allowances and covering fuel and travel costs. “When you put that together, you are talking of tens of millions of Ghana cedis,” he said.
Mr Ofosu added that similar reductions had been made at the Presidency, where political staff numbers had also been slashed. At one point, he noted, there were about 361 political staff, many with entitlements equivalent to ministers and deputy ministers.
“The reality now is that we have fewer people in government than we did under the previous administration,” he said. “Significant savings have been made. That cannot be disputed.”
He said the measures aligned with President Mahama’s vow to “reset” governance and redirect public funds towards priority sectors, including health, education and infrastructure.
