The Minister of Communications, Haruna Idrissu, has refuted the numerous tags the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has put on the 2012 government’s financial statement, insisting that the budget is a “progressive” one.
He said the budget statement is a true reflection of the achievements of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government on various fronts and also what the government intends to do for the country in 2012, adding that under the three-year rule of NDC, “there is an improvement in the living standards of Ghanaians”.
“I believe and maintain that only the willfully blind, who will not appreciate that this budget is a progressive one, and it is only the willfully blind, who will not appreciate that this budget creates a lot of space for the private sector growth and deeper participation in the building of our economy, and it is only the willfully blind, who will point out to World Bank, IMF and make assumptions that do not exist.”
The NPP Minority in Parliament have described the budget statement presented by the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, on Wednesday as ‘propaganda’ ‘recycled promises’ , ‘bye-bye’, or an ‘empty’ budget.
But Haruna Iddrisu speaking on Joy FM's Newsfile Saturday, retorted: “I think that it is important that the minority recognizes that a budget statement does projections, it gives us an estimate of revenue and expenditure and what government will deliver. And what we are saying is that we are managing the economy better, micro economic indicators are very, very progressive and very encouraging.”
He maintained that in terms of fiscal consolidation, the government’s economic management team and the Finance Ministry have done considerably well to improve the micro economic indicators of the country.
For instance, he said, the NPP in its eight-year rule, “struggled” but could not meet the criteria for the West African Monetary Zone’s single currency – ECO. “It is only under this administration that the four major criteria have been met, including sustainability of single digit inflation for the longest period of our country’s history.”
But a member of the communications team of the New Patriotic Party, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, rubbished the achievements of the government as touted by Haruna Iddrisu.
He said government claims of bringing inflation to single digit does not reflect what is on the ground, saying “demand has been killed” and people are not able to buy due to poor governance.
Touching on the $3 billion Chinese loan government intends to use for massive infrastructural development, Mr. Asamoah was emphatic that the loan will never come to Ghana, describing the government’s effort to secure the loan as a “hoax”.
He explained: “The finance minister can’t sign that loan because he needs the consent of the IMF which he hasn’t got.”
From: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Isaac Essel
http://politics.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201111/76781.php
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