We have a problem of systemic waste – Bright Simons on economic crisis

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons has explained why it is unrealistic to blame all of the government's economic woes on external factors.

According to him, procurement breaches are a very pivotal cause of the current situation.

“I agree with everyone here who thinks it is about expenditure because I have argued about expenditure. But it is actually about how we spend,” he said.

He made these comments at the Baah Wiredu Memorial Lecture on Thursday, September 22, 2022.

Per his analysis, some politicians have found a less obvious way of siphoning funds that makes the act sound less alarming than it is supposed to be.

This mechanism, Mr Simons believes, is unfortunately embedded in the system and is easy to justify.

“I will argue that we have a systemic waste that is frightening and terrifying but not as blatant in some countries like Nigeria and Kenya. It takes some unpacking,” he said.

On the back of COVID-19, Bright Simons also explained why he believes the touting of the pandemic as the cause of the economic downturn is a non-starter.

The IMANI Vice President insists that, if the data available is anything to go by “it is not as if we were the worst hit.”