Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has clarified that the previous government did not deliberately cause hardship for Ghanaians.

Responding to concerns about the country’s rising debt, which necessitated a restructuring program, Dr. Adam emphasised that no government would intentionally impose suffering on its citizens, especially in a democracy where it seeks re-election.

"There is no government that will deliberately inflict pain on its people, especially in a democracy where the same government will want to retain power and continue to implement its programs," he stated.

He argued that some of the economic challenges Ghana faces were caused by external factors rather than internal mismanagement.

According to him, Ghana's economic recovery from these external shocks has been comparatively strong.

"Some of these challenges are attributed to external factors. You have traveled around the world, participated in IMF and World Bank programs, and read their reports. Even in the United States and Britain, their economies have not recovered as much as ours because they are still affected by the same external factors that impacted us," he explained.

He further noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government made difficult decisions to protect human lives, even if it meant increasing borrowing.

"At the time of COVID-19, our president made it clear that we needed to do everything to protect human lives because you cannot bring lives back, but you can restore the economy. We had to take very difficult decisions, including borrowing. And don’t forget, every government borrows," he stated in an interview with Accra-based Joy News.