Gabby Otchere Darko’s Claim about GDP Growth False

A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Senior Partner of Africa Legal Associates, Gabby Otchere-Darko, in an interview on Accra-based Citi TV made a claim about Ghana’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

Mr. Otchere-Darko made the claim on Citi TV’s personality interview programme, Face-to-Face, on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, when he was comparing President Akufo-Addo’s performace on the economy against that of former President John Mahama, who is also the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The MFWA fact-checking team has examined his claim. Below is the claim, verdict and explanation to the verdict.

Claim: “Let me just take the two indicators you used. 2016, that was what he [John Mahama] left behind. The prediction of the World bank was based on even a greater expectation in terms of GDP growth for 2016. 2016 was 3.4% GDP growth. And you know what that meant? It was the lowest GDP growth for the whole of the fourth republic. In fact, the last time we got 3.3% was in 1990.”

Explanation: GDP growth rate measures the percentage change in the value of all of the goods and services produced in a nation during a specific period of time, as compared to an earlier period.

According to data from the World Bank, Ghana has recorded GDP growth rates lower than 3.4% within the fourth republic (since 1993), contrary to Mr. Otchere Darko’s claim. In 1994, Ghana recorded a GDP growth rate of 3.3%.

Indeed during John Mahama’s tenure, Ghana recorded GDP growth rates lower than the 3.4% of 2016. In 2014 and 2015, Ghana recorded GDP growth of 2.897% and 2.178% respectively. These were mainly due to the effects of the power crises and the fallen prices of gold and cocoa on the world market.

Also, the 3.3% GDP growth rate of 1994, makes Mr. Otchere Darko’s claim that “the last time we got 3.3% was in 1990” inaccurate.