By Christopher Arko
Accra, Nov.13, GNA - The Minority in Parliament has described the Government’s 2020 Budget Statement and Economic Policy as uninspiring and empty.
They said it was nothing short of empty promises and did not meet the aspirations of the people.
Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, a Member of the Finance Committee, speaking to media shortly after the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta had presented the Budget Statement to Parliament, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government had failed to live-up to expectation.
“If you continue in fours year to virtually spend all your money on consumption as oppose to the real developmental needs of the people, you have totally repudiated your claim to leadership.
“So for us this budget …. Is the final budget, our friends have not really live-up to expectation.”
Mr. Kwetey added that whilst in opposition, the NPP, was unrelenting in its attacks of the then government of spending too much money on consumption.
When the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was in government it spent a minimum of 4.5 per cent of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on capital expenditure - things that brought economic growth and transformation.
He said the current administration had failed to even meet the two per cent of GDP requirement for capital expenditure.
The failure to invest in capital and social infrastructure, had led to roads increasingly becoming deplorable.
He also spoke of the administration’s underperformance in terms of revenue mobilization, adding that, it was bereft of any new ideas to increase revenue for the state.
Mr. Hayford Ekow Quansah, MP for Mfanteman, shot down the claim by the Minority that the 2020 budget statement was empty, labeling it as sheer propaganda to discredit the government.
He made reference to various interventions - new polyclinics, ambulances, drone services for essential medical supplies, the construction CHIPS compounds among others and said these met the real needs of the people.
Mr. Hayford said in excess of 567 vehicles and three helicopters had been procured for the Police Service to help tackle crime. Eleven (11) landing beaches for the fishing communities were also being built.
The Sinohydro project was going to provide impetus to infrastructural development - roads and construction of interchanges.
GNA
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