Accra, 20th December, 2021 - The Ministry of Finance has held its 2021 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Annual Thanksgiving Service during which eight retired staff and 47 deserving staff were given awards.
The programme was attended by the Minister for Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for State, Hon. Charles Adu Boahen, Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr. Patrick Nomo, Management, Bishop Dick Essandoh of the Action Chapel International and Heads of Departments and Agencies under the Ministry.
In his address, the Minister for Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the staff for their relentless support and hard work throughout the year. He noted that, the year had been an eventful one with the Ministry presenting three Budget Statements to Parliament and with a few issues surrounding some of the proposals in the budget.
He said, the Ministry was able to execute several programmes and initiatives because “we are a people of common destiny who speak common language” and that with unity of mind and purpose, no challenge is unsurmountable.
“As you know, we call ourselves the Midwives of the country, how do we help birth a nation, and that is really what we are called to do. So, if we look at the budget, how do we recognize that and begin to renew our minds and to renew our relationships and our clarity as to what our responsibilities are to the public, how do we speak that one language that will then give us no restrain to build the nation that we ought to build” he stressed.
Ken Ofori-Atta noted that, just as the Sons of Issachar were men who understood times and knew what Israel ought to do, the Ministry as midwives of the country also knew the right measures and strategies to efficiently manage the public purse.
He regretted the misinformation carried out by people on the proposed E-Levy by government and clearly stated that, under the transaction, majority of the unemployed youth would be gainfully employed.
He stressed the need for the critics of the transaction to provide alternatives or best ways to generate the expected revenue to support the massive youth entrepreneurship drive and other policies of Government.
The Minister called on staff to brace themselves for more work next year as the whole nation was looking up to them to salvage the economy from the claws of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chief Director, Mr. Patrick Nomo in his welcome address commended the Minister for Finance for his sterling leadership over the years and Management for their support.
Mr. Nomo enumerated key activities for the 2021 year including, presentation of the 2021 Budget Statement, Launch of the Revenue Assurance and Compliance Enforcement (RACE) to identify and eliminate revenue leakages in the various sectors of the economy; Implementation of our post covid recovery programme, the Ghana COVID-19 Alleviation Revitalization of Enterprises Support (Ghana CARES) Programme; and the presentation of the 2022 “Agyenkwa” Budget Statement by the Hon. Minister for Finance.
He reiterated the Minister’s call for hard work next year and noted that, management had put in place mechanisms to support staff to deliver.
According to the Chief Director, the Ministry will be very busy next year, with the execution of major initiatives such as the YouStart, the National Development Bank, the E-Levy, and the AfDB Annual General Meetings to be held in Ghana.
“Colleagues, let us embrace the spirit of teamwork and work in a collaborative spirit to implement these initiatives successfully. As I have indicated in previous durbars, this Ministry thrives in collaborative environment where our various strength and skills are brought together in an efficient manner,” he added.
Bishop Dick Essandoh of the Action Chapel International in his sermon, encouraged the gathering to develop an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances.
According to him, thanksgiving was an expression of gratitude for something you have benefitted from, and God’s mercies and blessings always located a grateful heart.
Referencing from the Bible, he revealed that the whole of Israel suffered the wrath of God after King Hezekiah refused to show gratitude to God after healing him from his sickness.
“When we demonstrate love for Nation and God is honoured in our Nation, God will continue to give us success and would preserve us under the canopy of his grace”
“The Centurion in Luke 7, who ‘loved our nation and has built our synagogue’ ought to serve as a lasting reminder for us all to not only to be thankful to God, but to also give reason for others to be thankful for our lives; through our love for the nation and dedication to build a memorial to the glory of our God.”
Twenty-five (25) deserving staff and Divisions that exceled during the year received awards while eight retirees of the Ministry were also honoured at the programme.
The bible quotations for Nine lessons and Carols were read by selected staff of the Ministry interspersed with melodious Christmas tunes performed by the joint Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant General Choir. END