Mahama’s lean government claim misleading when full appointments are considered – Samuel A. Jinapor

Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has questioned the characterisation of the Mahama administration as a “lean government,” arguing that the true size of government should be assessed by examining appointments across the entire public sector rather than focusing solely on ministers and deputy ministers.

His remarks come amid continuing debate over the cost of governance, with the opposition maintaining that reductions in the number of ministers do not necessarily translate into lower public expenditure.

The discussion has also followed recent comments by Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who rejected claims that staffing costs at the Presidency had increased under the current administration.

According to Mr Jinapor, a comprehensive evaluation of government size must include appointments made to ministries, departments, agencies, diplomatic missions and other state institutions.

He contended that the number of political and administrative appointees across these structures contributes significantly to the overall cost of running government.