Former President John Dramani Mahama has been responding to Thursday’s budget statement presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mr. Mahama says there is no hope in the budget statement as it does not address the hardship and high cost of living confronting Ghanaians.
Rather, he says, Ghanaians should brace themselves for tougher times following the downturn in economic activities resulting from the policies of the government.
Addressing delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Thursday in the Kwadaso constituency in the Ashanti Region as part of his flagberership campaign, Mr. Mahama said a budget statement should usually seek to address the problems of people and inspire confidence.
But he observed that the 2019 budget statement lacks inspiration.
Mr. Mahama noted that the hardship that Ghanaians are going through is contrary to the
promises made by President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the 2016 general elections.
He said the NPP in opposition accused his government of borrowing 40 billion Ghana Cedis over a four-year period, even though there is evidence to show that the money was invested in massive developmental projects across the country.
Former President Mahama said his administration invested in health facilities, schools, roads, water and electricity expansion, markets, airports and port expansion, among others, with the money it borrowed.
He pointed out that less than two years into the government of the NPP, they have borrowed the equivalent of what the NDC borrowed in four years and yet the Akufo-Addo administration has nothing to show for all the loans it has contracted.
Mr. Mahama said the government continues to commission and re-commission NDC projects such that they have some times been too embarrassed to open some of them to the public.
He called on the NDC delegates to give him massive endorsement in the flagbarership race to enable him lead the party to victory in the election 2020 in order to work hard to provide jobs and reduce the high cost of living in the country.
Filed by James Agyenim-Boateng, Spokesperson, JDM’s Campaign
