On August 22, 2023, Accra-based Asempa FM hosted Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President on its flagship program, Ekosiisen. The issues discussed during the show centred on education, the struggling economy, and the general well-being of Ghanaians in the face of the hardship being experienced.
Mr Aboagye said that in spite of all the challenges the country is faced with, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) remains the most viable political party to move the country to the next level.
He noted that steps are being taken to reverse the impact of the economic downturn on citizens and went on to cite examples of developed countries, such as Turkey, which are facing high inflation rates.
Fact-Check Ghana has verified the claim and presents the findings below.
Claim: “OB (name of show host), go to Turkey, where we import goods from. Today, they are experiencing 80% inflation.”
Verdict: False
Explanation: Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, the official government statistician indicates that, in the month of July 2023, Turkey’s inflation rate was 9.49% contrary to Mr Aboagye’s assertion
Below is a tabular representation of the inflation rates or consumer price index (CPI) in Turkey since January 2023.
| Month | Annual CPI | Monthly CPI |
| January | 57.68% | 6.65% |
| February | 55.18% | 3.15 |
| March | 50.51% | 2.29% |
| April | 43.68% | 2.39% |
| May | 39.59% | 0.04% |
| June | 38.21% | 3.92% |
| July | 47.83% | 9.49% |
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute
From the table above, the current monthly inflation rate in Turkey is 9.49% and the annual rate is 47.83%. The data also indicates that since the beginning of the year, Turkey has never recorded an inflation rate of 80% in both monthly and annual CPIs.
Based on the facts above, Mr Aboagye’s assertion that Turkey is “today experiencing 80% inflation” is false.
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