I will keep not more than 50 ministers – Bawumia

The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party for the 2024 elections, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said he will appoint not more than fifty (50) ministers and deputy ministers if given the nod to lead the country in the December elections.

This means he will run a leaner government that his strongest contender, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, who promised to use 60 ministers and deputies when given the nod.

Addressing the nation on the theme “Ghana’s next chapter; selfless leadership and bold solutions for the future,” Dr. Bawumia said he will operate an efficient governance system where the private sector will play a pivotal role.

“Enhancing the role of the private sector along with fiscal and administrative decentralization, improving our systems and the way our institution’s function will lead to greater efficiency, cutting waste and ensuring value for money in procurement,” he said.

According to him, the move towards the private sector provision of many public services would create fiscal space of at least 3% of GDP, which represents a major paradigm shift.

Additionally, he said, an efficient system of governance will require even fewer ministers and “I would have no more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers.”

The size of government, particularly the need to use a leaner government to cut cost, has always featured in the campaign promises of the leading presidential candidates since to the inception of the fourth republic. But the challenges has been their commitment to their own promises.

Each of the presidents under the fourth republic failed woefully to keep to their promises of using fewer ministers and deputies to run the government. Some ended up even appointing more than twice the number they promises. A typical example is Dr. Bawumia’s own government, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.