Economist Dr. Ishmael Yamson addressed escalating economic crisis in the country, calling it the toughest period for businesses in decades.
In a time of engagement with the media, he shared that the ongoing economic decline is troubling him deeply, keeping him awake at night as he wonders, “What went wrong?”
“It has been tumultuous…the last six months have been quite unsettling, volatile, and difficult for our business. I can say with certainty that I’ve never seen anything like this in the past 40 years,” he said on Thursday.
The former Unilever Ghana boss continued, “Look at the depreciation of the cedi, which hit an all-time high last month. I thought we might see some improvement, but it continues to depreciate.
“This period is the most difficult time that Ghanaian businesses have faced. You need a predictable economy, but we currently have a completely unpredictable economy.
“The most difficult aspect is that there doesn’t seem to be a real effort from the government or anyone else to change direction, and I can’t see anything indicating that the economy is improving.
He remarked that the sharp decline of the local currency against major international currencies, the inflation rate, and other economic indicators are not aligning as expected.
“If you are a businessman in this economy today, you probably sleep with nightmares. You wake up the next morning not knowing what will hit you next, and it’s been especially tough for manufacturers.
“Having spent 30 years with the multinational company Unilever, I can really sense their frustrations in the current crisis.
“This is because you don’t have control over your costs, absolutely no control. All your costs are determined by factors outside your control as a business.
“If anybody asks me what keeps me awake at night, I will tell you it is the Ghanaian economy.”