Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said the Akufo-Addo administration has ensured an all inclusive economic growth in the country since he became
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said the Akufo-Addo administration has ensured an all inclusive economic growth in the country since he became President.
He said a number of programmes including the Free Senior High School, the Nations Builders Corps (NABCO), investments in the health and security sectors, have been made to enhance these sectors since Mr Akufo-Addo became the President of Ghana.
These projects became possible due to monies that the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) said Mr Akufo-Addo could never have access to, for the needed development, he added.
Making a case for the introduction of the E-levy at the Townhall Meeting held in Koforidua on Thursday January 27, he said “We went through 2017 to 2019 with incredible stellar results as to what we, as a country have been able to achieve moving from 3.4 per cent of growth to some where over 7 per cent, reducing our budget deficit, and then to 6.5%, moved to about 5 per cent making sure that our currency does not depreciate as it used to be and quite stable.
“Also having the necessary foreign exchange cover to make sure that we are able to support our currency and import. Again we did the impossible, spent over 14 billion cedis on education, 14 billion on health care , 14.9bn on enhancing our internal security and it comes as what we were able to do with the monies NDC assured we will never be able to get.
“So, the benefits have been for all of us, all inclusive growth in which about 1.26 million children have benefited from free SHS , 3.45million covered by school feeding programme , NADCO 100,000 young persons, the largest in our history and over 334 households are given lifeline under the LEAP programme. so, for us, the sovereignty of our people is clear everybody as a citizen having a part in this enterprise of this idea of a Ghana that is confident, prosperous.
“Our president has also earned incredible international repute and our own Ghanaian walk outside , even here, NDC or NPP , their heads are high because they know that Akufo-Addo has done it.
“We have to continue these initiatives but the challenge is, where do we get the resources to be able to do this . Traditionally, when you are caught in such a thing you increase petrol and we know the effect is have on all of us.”
For her part, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said if Ghana does not wean itself off loans and aid, foreigners would dictate the pace of the country’s development, Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has said.
The Ablekuma West Member of Parliament said ” so long us we depend on loans they will dictate the pace of our developments.”
“We need to find the way to increase domestic revenue mobilisation,” she added.
“We are talking about a Ghana beyond aid, we need to be able to finance our own development and stop the dependence on either loans or grants or aid from other countries if we are to be truly independent.”
The Townhall Meeting forms part of the stakeholder engagement the government is undertaking on the E-levy proposal.
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