Minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has accused the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, of the cause of what he describes as “misery and sufferings” Ghanaians are going through.
On the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, members concluded the debate of the 2024 budget statement and government’s economic policy with leaders from both sides taking turns to make their submissions before the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta gave his concluding remarks.
Taking his turn, Minority leader, Ato Forson was of the view that, the 2024 budget is not the true reflection of what Ghanaians are going through and what the government is about.
He mentioned that the Akufo-Addo-led administration has been the worst managers of the economy citing the high level of unemployment, the high level of inflation, Debt to GDP, corruption scandals by ministers and many more as evidence of how competent this government is.
“Mr. Speaker, this government promised the people of Ghana to move the economy from taxation to production and yet ended up inflicting taxes and more taxation on the people of Ghana. This budget is uninspiring, cruel, insensitive and completely out of touch with the realities of the people of Ghana”.
He added that, seven years down the lane, President Akufo-Addo and the chairman of the Economic Management Team (EMT), Dr. Bawumia have collapsed the economy.
“They inherited a debt to GDP of 55.6% but as of December 2022, Ghana’s debt to GDP according to the IMF was over 103% and we will end the year 2023 with GDP in excess of 90%”, minority leader said.
With Dr. Bawumia being chairman of the EMT, Dr Ato Forson noted that since 2017, every budget statement or mid-year budget review is supervised by the Vice President and his expertise is sought before decisions are taken.
According to the minority leader, the chairman of the Economic Management Team has failed to fulfil the several promises he made to Ghanaians and hence should be blamed for the sufferings and misery individuals are facing adding that his own NPP MPs get agitated anytime his name is mentioned but the fact still remains that every major economic decision since 2017 was supervised by him and has led the country into this mess.
