The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to consider converting the National Cathedral project into a hospital. Speaking at the 2023 May Day parade in Bolgatanga, the Secretary-General of the TUC, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, said that such a conversion would better serve the needs of Ghanaians.

In his speech, Dr Yaw Baah also urged the government to intervene in its revenue mobilization efforts, while cautioning against the excessive use of regressive taxes that would burden local businesses. He further advised the President to reduce the size of the government in light of Ghana’s severe economic challenges.

The theme for this year’s May Day parade was “Protecting incomes and pensions in an era of economic crisis: Our responsibility.” While addressing the parade, Dr Yaw Baah remarked that the President’s ambition to create another Notre Dame in Ghana was misplaced. Instead, he suggested that converting the project into a national hospital would be more beneficial to Ghanaians.

Dr Yaw Baah’s comments were not the only ones critical of the government’s economic management. The Volta and Oti Regional Secretary of the TUC, Edith Abla Amenuvor Afenu, also spoke out against the government’s policies. She argued that the current economic crisis was not solely the result of global challenges such as Covid-19 and the Russian-Ukrainian War. Instead, she suggested that the government’s mismanagement of public funds had also played a significant role.

Overall, the TUC’s call to convert the National Cathedral project into a hospital is a timely one. With Ghana facing severe economic challenges, it is essential that the government prioritizes projects that will directly benefit the people. A national hospital would be a significant step in that direction.