We’ve learned our lessons, we’ll protect the public purse; we’ll spend what we earn – Ofori-Atta

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has expressed government’s commitment to protecting the public purse through expenditure controls and the payment of the right taxes.

According to him, the government has learnt lots of lessons from this economic predicament and therefore must spend what it earns and not vice versa.

In an exclusive interview with Joy Business’ George Wiafe, Ofori-Atta, said the government is doing the right thing and is on the right path with respect to fiscal management of the country.

You have to take the community across the Jordan and that’s what I [Ken Ofori-Atta] intend to do irrespective of the difficulties. But we’re confident that we’re doing the right thing, we’re on the right path”.

“The challenge really is yes, we will get our Board [IMF Executive] approval hopefully in short order, but what do we as a nation learn from that?”, he asked.

He added that the country must contend with expenditure control commitments, raise its revenue and ensure that it spends what it earns.

I think those are going to be the issues the country has to contend with, understanding how to protect the public purse and ensuring that we all pay our taxes and avoid wasting government resources”.