Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), believes Ghana is better off having some ministries consolidated.

The former General Secretary of the NPP, in an interview with Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show, said not only will this be economical but will go a long way to send a strong moral message to Ghanaians that leadership is indeed tightening its belt and is serious about working towards attaining economic recovery.

“Ghana’s government is too big, and I have said this a long time ago, I think it has become a bit more fashionable for other people to say. As far back as 2015 when I was General Secretary of the NPP, I said that the framers of the constitution did not put in the 19 limits for cabinet ministers for nothing, they were giving us an idea of the size of government.”

“When I become President, I will not exceed this limit. A lot of the ministries have to be consolidated to reduce the numbers. There are others I think should not exist in the first place, Parliamentary Affairs, and even Chieftaincy used to be a secretariat at the Presidency.

“I think the natural home of Youth and Sport is Education, Transport should have Aviation and Railways. We can isolate Roads and Highways because of their central role in the development of the country. Fisheries should be a department under Agriculture.”

He also said Ministries do not need more than one deputy.

“The President even has just a vice. So, 38 ministers, if we add the 16 regional ministers, we have 54 ministers. This is something any President should be able to work with.”