Budget 2024 is full of Fairy Tales – MP for Prestea Huni/Valley
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Prestea Huni/Valley, Hon Robert Wisdom Cudjoe has said the 2024 budget statement and economic policy presented by the Minister for Finance is full of fairy tales.
According to him, the country’s economy cannot be built by lofty promises without a tangible development agenda with available resources.
Hon Cudjoe said this in an interview with EXPRESSNEWSGHANA in reaction to the budget statement and economic policy presented to Parliament by the Minister for Finance, on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
He said the budget failed to address fundamental.issues affecting the country and expressed his disappointment on the fact that the Mining company, FGR Mines that the government relied on to help complete some road projects in Bogoso area itself needed support.
Hon Cudjoe also expressed concern about the continued destruction of the environment by illegal miners with impunity as officials of the Forest Commission looked unconcerned.
He described the government’s 2024 budget as complete empty paper, saying, “I cannot see anything appealing in the budget as it won’t help alleviate the current burden on Ghanaians.”
Finance Minister presenting 2024 budget
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta presented the 2024 budget in Parliament on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
Among other things, he said Ghana’s economy, which plummeted in recent years, had begun making modest gains.
Mr. Ofori Atta cited, for instance, that the country’s inflation has started declining because the economy is performing better.
But Mr. Cudjoe said, “In terms of the contents, I don’t think there is anything to write home about. There is nothing exciting about the budget. It is business as usual, rhetoric, things they will do. If they haven’t been able to do it in the last seven years, I am wondering how they are going to do it in one year, now that things are much harder.”
He further noted, “the so-called removal of tax from one component and increasing the other side, does not reduce poverty, does not reduce hardship. Most of these things are already on subsidies, so there is nothing new. They should simply prepare to leave by December 7, 2024″
” So you can understand why we the Minority don’t think that this government will be retained. So this is their bye-bye budget.”
“ We will study it and during the debates on the estimates, we will unwrap every figure , whether taxs or subsidy, whatever, we will expose them,” he added.
The Prestea Huni-Valley lawmaker believed the budget failed to address issues on roads, Galamsey, and other economic matters, arguing that the year of roads has become a ritual failed propaganda and nothing is new in the budget to salvage the Akufo-Adoo -Bawumiq government.
He urged Ghanaians to start warming up for more economic hardship as things would get worse under the current government.
Generally, the NDC MP believed the 2024 Budget is recycled materials with no substance and with no solutions to Ghana economic problems.
Hon Cudjoe said the country’s resources could only be managed better by the NDC government and charged Ghanaians to go out in their number on December 7, 2024, to vote to return the NDC to rescue the country.
He said the country and its enviable resources have been mortgaged by President Akufo-Adoo -Bawumia government and it would take the NDC to restore the hope in Ghana.
Source: www.expressnewsghana.com
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