The government on "Boxing Day" advised Ghanaians to learn to live within their means. Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Office of the President told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a telephone interview in Accra that the complaints by some Ghanaians that money was hard to come by for the Christmas could not reflect the reality.

She was speaking in reaction to views expressed by politicians and other groups to the GNA concerning President Kufuor's pronouncement to the media in an X'mas message about the state of the economy that although things were difficult this year, there was hope that there would be an improvement of the situation by next year.

Ms Ohene said people's expectation, especially during the Christmas was very high and that it should be noted "that there is no more any 'awoof' money this time around for people to go on a spending spree".

"Everybody has to learn to live within his or her means", she said.

She said the President was right to admit that things were hard this year and that there was hope for the nation's economy to improve by next year.

Ms Ohene explained that as far as she was aware the Minister of Finance had paid every bill before the X'mas and that there was no way government could give money to individuals purposely for Christmas.

Dr. Edward Mahama, Leader the People's National Convention (PNC) in a similar telephone interview with the GNA, criticised the President on the statement.

He said this year's Xmas has been one of the worst in Ghana's history and that "at the look of things, NPP government doesn't have the antidote to the problems of this country" and that it was unfortunate that the President said things would be better next year.

He appealed to Ghanaians to start now to opt for an alternative party, which could find solutions to their problems and "kick the NPP out of power in the 2004 general elections".

Dr Mahama said the PNC would hold a press conference on the state of the economy early January, next year, on how the economy affects Ghanaians.

Mr. Dan Lartey, Leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), described the economy as "critically harder" and that it would need "divine intervention to get the country out of the mess if the NPP continued to be in power."

He deplored the President's statement saying, "he is in the saddle and he is supposed to die for Ghanaians and his assertion that the economy would be better next year means that he has accepted defeat"

"Ghanaians should not wait time at all to vote for Nkrumaist Party to steer the affairs of the country", Mr Lartey said.

He said "the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was responsible for the economic mess of the country and that the NPP too has failed to put things in order. Their days are numbered and they should prepare to change hands".

He advised all the Nkrumaist parties to join hands to fight the common enemy, the NPP and the economy.