'You want people to produce for what market when you're paying them GH₵2,000?' – Ex-Minister Adutwum Asks

Ghana's economy is at risk of remaining 'stuck in a hole for a long time' unless it addresses the critical issue of livable wages and citizens' purchasing power, warns former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.

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You want people to produce for what market when you are paying people 2,000 cedis, and you know it doesn't suffice for transport, but that is what you are paying them?

Speaking on the Konnected Minds podcast, Adutwum questioned the logic of an economic system where workers struggle to afford basic necessities. "You want people to produce for what market when you are paying people 2,000 cedis, and you know it doesn't suffice for transport, but that is what you are paying them?" he asked, highlighting the inadequacy of current wages.

He asserted that increasing productivity and ensuring workers receive a living wage would stimulate the economy through a multiplier effect, ultimately generating more jobs. "Productivity is what the multiplier effect is, it creates more jobs," he stated, countering the argument that lower wages attract investment.

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If we don't confront the issue of lack of livable wages in this country, you're going to be stuck in a hole for a long time to come.

Adutwum also pointed to Ghana's persistently low economic growth, which hovers around 4 percent, far below the 10-12 percent needed for two decades to achieve meaningful national transformation. He urged Ghanaians to hold politicians accountable, demanding concrete plans for graduate employment and rejecting leaders who fail to deliver on their promises.

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Productivity is what the multiplier effect is, it creates more jobs.

"This country must transform its fortunes. We are not in a good place. Don't allow people to kid you that we are resetting something and we are going to see transformation. The journey to the land of transformation is not yet midway," he concluded, emphasizing the need for honest dialogue and a departure from the status quo.

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If you want to transform your country, the research will tell you that your economy must grow between 10 to 12 per cent for 20 years consistently. We do 4 per cent, and you think your country is being transformed?