His comments come amid intensifying national conversations following the Supreme Court’s directive to Wesley Girls’ High School to respond within 14 days to claims that Muslim students face restrictions on prayer, fasting, and the wearing of the hijab.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 29, Prof. Bokpin stressed that mission schools—whether Christian or Muslim—have historically partnered with the state to deliver quality education, and their rights over the schools must be respected.

“If we look at it in totality, the state grants space for mission schools to preach, and this partnership has been sustained for decades. No religious body will give up its right over its mission schools—they won’t,” he said.

He noted that it is inherently difficult for any religion to fully exercise its practices within mission schools of another faith, and this reality should be acknowledged rather than denied.

“I believe we should be moving towards unity that recognises diversity,” he said. “We must promote tolerance that gives each group a safe space to operate. As the state supports all institutions, that approach becomes more sustainable.”

Prof. Bokpin drew from his personal experience attending a Muslim mission school, explaining the nuanced differences even within Islamic groups. Orthodox Muslims, he said, often feel uncomfortable in Ahmadiyya schools due to differences in belief and teaching—yet the Ahmadis were among the earliest to embrace Western-style education and invested heavily in establishing schools.

He commended the progress Muslim communities have made in promoting education, especially for girls, describing it as a “momentum shift” from past practices.

However, he emphasised that this growing appreciation for formal education must not become a basis to dilute, override, or undermine the values upon which mission schools were built.

“This late realisation should not grant anyone the right to weaken mission schools or disregard the investment they have made over the years,” he cautioned. “They have contributed significantly to national development.”

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Speaking on JoyNews‘ Newsfile on Saturday, July 5, Prof. Bokpin questioned the need for a separate body to manage the initiative, which aims to extend working hours in key sectors.

“You don’t need to create an authority for 24-hour economy,” he said. “This is a government programme everybody works with it.”

Drawing from Ghana’s history with development strategies, he cautioned that creating new structures often leads to inefficiency.

“Since 1992, if you look at development policies and how we seek to implement them, we take it away from the existing structures within which development channels must flow. That is where the politics becomes typified,” he noted.

Prof. Bokpin also highlighted wasteful spending in similar state bodies. “Pick NHIA from the time it was set up to date, approximately 44% of the total allocation to them is spent on administration. How do you pay claims promptly?” he asked. “Look at Cocobod, it is possible that Cocobod has more V8s than cocoa beans.”

He explained that an effective 24-hour economy should be a shift in mindset, not another bureaucratic layer. “We don’t need to create a separate unit within Ghana Police Service for 24-hour economy. It is supposed to be a mindset,” he stressed.

Prof. Bokpin referenced Ghana’s handling of past International Monetary Fund programmes as an example of efficiency without extra administrative burden. “We have successfully implemented 17 IMF-supported programmes, and in all of these, we have never created a secretariat,” he said. “IMF has an office here it is not an implementing office.”

He criticised plans for a new data-collecting body under the 24-hour policy. “If the document says there will be a secretariat that will collect data, what is Ghana Statistical Service doing?” he asked.

Instead, he urged the government to use the existing decentralised system. “We have a decentralised local government system let’s use it. That way we will minimise the cost of implementing these interventions,” he said.

Prof. Bokpin stressed the need for long-term sustainability. “We can make it work better,” he said.

“Once we infuse it within the existing systems, ministries, departments, agencies, they are all running with it. Even if there is a change in government, it will not necessarily dislocate the pathway and the result.”

Source: Myjoyonline

He criticised the President for failing to demonstrate the same level of commitment to addressing the menace as he has shown in other sectors of the economy.

Speaking on JoyNews’s Newsfile on Saturday, 21st June, Prof. Bokpin noted, “Mr President, when it comes to how you are dealing with irresponsible mining, I am afraid, I am not with you.”

The professor urged the president to take bold, decisive steps to end the environmental destruction and lawlessness associated with illegal mining.

Prof. Bokpin’s remarks come at a time when public concern over the impact of galamsey continues to rise. Ghana has witnessed widespread deforestation, pollution of key water bodies, and the displacement of communities due to unregulated mining activities.

He argued that, considering the government’s strategy to develop the digital economy, which is expected to grow faster than the traditional economy, the future is increasingly digital, and Ghana needs to create the right environment to support that growth.

“The NDC government, after campaigning against the E-levy and eventually scrapping it, views the E-levy as a misplaced priority. That view has not changed. The E-levy and the energy levy are completely different.

“The impact of introducing the E-levy would have harmed the future of the digital economy far more than this new levy will, even though both have value chain effects,” he said in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show.

He stressed the need for fiscal discipline at this time and welcomed the removal of the E-levy to allow the digital economy to thrive without additional burdens.

“Given the current circumstances, including the recent strengthening of the cedi, one could make a case for this as a temporary intervention. What Ghanaians needed at that time was more fiscal discipline,” he added.

Prof. Bokpin acknowledged that the introduction of the energy levy is not an optimal solution but said it could provide some temporary relief.

“Considering the challenges in the energy sector and the broader impact on the economy, this levy targets the value chain and could bring some relief. It’s a difficult decision, but some interventions have helped stabilize the situation.”

He reiterated that his earlier concerns about the E-levy remain unchanged despite the introduction of the new levy.

“My argument during the introduction of the E-levy hasn’t changed with the introduction of this levy.”

His comments follow the passage of the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which authorizes a GH¢1 increase in petroleum product levies.

According to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the measure aims to help settle $3.1 billion in energy sector arrears and raise an additional $1.2 billion to procure fuel for thermal generation in 2025.

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In an interview on Citi FM on Wednesday, May 21, Professor Bokpin highlighted improved macroeconomic indicators and policy continuity as key factors behind the cedi’s resilience.

He acknowledged that while multiple factors influence the cedi’s performance, the post-election economic management by the previous NPP government played a significant role.

“To some extent, the NPP should be given some credit. If you look at the data after December 2024, after the election under the IMF programme, we missed practically all the indicators, except for two,” he explained.

“One was GDP growth, which was higher than the programme’s target. We ended the year with 5.7%, and the other was our international reserves.”

Professor Bokpin noted that the former government’s Gold-for-Reserves programme helped bolster foreign reserves, creating a foundation on which the current administration has built.

He emphasised that this foundation has contributed to stabilising the foreign exchange market.

“The relative currency stability being experienced is not the result of a single government’s action but rather a continuation of prudent policies,” he said.

“Such policy continuity, especially in managing foreign reserves, has contributed to the relative stability observed in the foreign exchange market.”

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Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, May 17, Professor Bokpin expressed his support for the Bank of Ghana’s current stance.

“What the market is looking for is stability, and we need to build our reserves. And I agree,” he said. “I heard the First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana saying that they are not burning the reserves, and I agree with that.”

According to him, Ghana had already exceeded the reserve floor set under the IMF-supported programme prior to the last general elections, giving the country some leeway to intervene in the forex market without breaching critical thresholds.

“There’s some kind of margin that we can still intervene in the market without going below that threshold,” he noted.

However, Professor Bokpin warned that short-term interventions must not overshadow the long-term goal of building a strong reserve buffer.

“Anytime the cedi strengthens, the question is always about sustainability,” he said. “The ups and downs are not good for the market and not good for planning.”

He advocated for a forward-looking approach: “Once we have favourable external conditions, the timing is right. We should rather build our reserves to allow for predictability over the long term, so that in the next 10, 15 or 20 years, we have enough reserves to keep the cedi stable. That would be more helpful.”

Professor Bokpin acknowledged that efforts to stabilise the exchange rate could help bring down inflation.

However, he cautioned that such a strategy tends to favour imported goods over local production.

“That only makes imports cheaper and imported inflation lower than locally produced,” he explained.

“If you look at the data, since November 2023, inflation on locally produced goods has been higher than on imported goods. That means you are far better off importing – even after paying all the duties at the port – than producing locally,” he added.

He warned that such a trend risks undermining Ghana’s productive capacity and job creation potential.

“When you do it that way, you are only outsourcing the productive capacity of the economy to other countries. And that will not create decent jobs.”

Professor Bokpin called for more granular inflation data going forward, particularly to track the disparity between imported and locally produced goods, arguing that policy must be guided by evidence that supports local enterprise and long-term economic resilience.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 17, the University of Ghana lecturer stressed the unsustainable nature of the current electricity distribution system, citing significant collection losses of approximately 15%—well above the global average.

He argued that many government ministries, departments, and sensitive installations are not paying electricity bills, further straining the sector.

“You cannot pass on all those losses to the ultimate consumer,” Prof Bokpin stated.

“Then again, you want to look at collection losses. Collection losses, we are looking at close to 15% again, that’s above the world average. It’s not sustainable. Apart from that, you also want to look at the tariff gaps in terms of the pricing formula and all of that. If you put all of these things together… you also see that there are ministries, departments, agencies. And you heard the minister saying that it’s about time ministries, departments, and agencies take responsibility for their energy consumption.”

He advocated for private sector involvement in electricity distribution, suggesting a partnership model where the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) remains government-owned while bringing in private sector expertise to improve efficiency and reduce losses.

“We should support government in private sector participation in downstream distribution,” he said.

Prof Bokpin emphasized that this model does not mean selling ECG, but rather inviting private capital and management while the state remains the sole shareholder.

He acknowledged the potential challenges of implementing such reforms, including staff resistance and political pushback.

He urged Ghanaians to support the reforms, noting that power outages affect all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.

The proposed reforms are part of an IMF-supported programme aimed at restructuring Ghana’s energy sector and improving long-term economic sustainability.

He described Dr Bawumia’s decision as a “bold step”.

However, Prof Bokpin says Dr Bawumia as Vice President, can use his existing influence within the New Patriotic Party to push for the removal of the e-levy and other taxes now, rather than waiting until he is elected.

In a radio interview with Accra-based Peace FM on Monday [August 18, 2024] Prof Bokpin noted that many economists and concerned Ghanaians had advised against the implementation of the e-levy, but the government chose to proceed.

He welcomed Dr Bawumia’s commitment to scrap the tax, emphasizing that the e-levy “has no future in this country,” regardless of who assumes power.

NPP Manifesto

While launching the Election 2024 manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Takoradi on Sunday, August 18, 2024, Dr Bawumia announced that when given power in the Presidential election slated for December 7, 2024, he will scrap the e-levy.

The e-levy was introduced in May 2022 by the Akufo-Addo-led government to generate more revenue to undertake government projects in the country.

Reacting to Dr Bawumia’s pledge to scrap the tax, Prof Bokpin pointed out that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other presidential aspirants have also pledged to stop the e-levy if given the mandate.

Source: Myjoyonline

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According to him, even though the public debt stock has ballooned over the period, there is not much to show for it.

He said this on Newsfile on Saturday when Deputy Finance Minister Dr Stephen Amoah sought to justify the Finance Minister’s Mid-year Budget review presentation.

Speaking on the show, Prof Bokpin indicated that Covid-19 was one of the main crises that was unduly milked by the Akufo-Addo administration.

However, the government has so far proved that there was no judiciousness in how the funds were spent.

“If we say no government has borrowed like this government, of course, the size of the economy has not remained the same compared to those other regimes. But if you look at the amount of debt this government has accumulated in the last seven and a half years or so, and you look at the real assets, the underlying assets that we have generated, I don’t think we have been prudent you can run away from that,” he said.

During a press briefing on Monday, July 1, Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam said Ghana’s economy is demonstrating formidable signs of a comeback.

Dr Adam highlighted the positive economic indicators for the first quarter of 2024, suggesting a favourable outlook for the rest of the year.

“Growth, as we’ve heard from the previous two distinguished speakers, is proving to be more resilient and robust than initially programmed, and the economy continues to show strong signs of recovery, particularly in the first quarter of 2024,” he said.

Dr Adam emphasised that the overall macroeconomic environment remains stable as the government continues to implement the IMF-supported programme.

“The results were remarkable. Overall real GDP growth for quarter one 2024 was 4.7%, the highest since quarter one of 2022. This growth performance is better than the 3.1% growth recorded in the same period in 2023.”

I cannot guarantee trophies for Hearts of Oak – Aboubakar Ouattara