Labour expert Austin Gamey has warned against excessive recruitment into the public sector, stating that it would severely strain the country’s financial health.
Speaking on Prime News on ABC News GH, he emphasized that “loading the public and the civil service will cause bleeding of the financial health of the state. Government cannot afford to pay them.”
He clarified that only those with financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance have been properly employed, while those recruited without such clearance are the ones being asked to leave.
“We are currently under a domestic debt exchange program. We owe several people, so that is why the President was very clear,” he explained, adding that economic recovery requires patience.
Addressing concerns over the government’s decision to revoke the employment of nurses and midwives recruited after the December 7 elections, Gamey stressed that fiscal responsibility must take priority.
“If you over-employ people, our fiscal policy will completely be overshadowed,” he noted. He further explained that retaining employees without financial backing would put the entire economy at risk.
“If the financial health of the country is not properly in place, you don’t expect to keep the people in place. If you do that, you endanger the health of everyone in the country,” he warned.
While expressing empathy for the affected workers, he maintained that employment should be based on financial sustainability.
“I empathize with all those concerned, but that is not the way to do it.”
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has threatened a nationwide strike should the government proceed with the dismissals, stating that the move would impact over 5,000 healthcare workers and disrupt service delivery.
The minority in Parliament has also called for the decision to be reversed, arguing that it has left many young Ghanaians in distress.
However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga attributed the situation to mass recruitment by the previous administration, claiming that it was politically motivated.
Gamey urged affected individuals to accept the reality, stating, “There is an optimum level beyond which any company or government can go. If you force employment without the means to sustain it, it becomes a major problem.”
