The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, took a swipe at the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government after the presentation of the 2024 Budget and Financial Statement on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Ato Forson, a former deputy minister of finance, said the budget statement presented by Ofori-Atta, was empty.

He added that the budget was a goodbye message of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and it showed that the government was leaving Ghanaians with more pain and hardship, as it packs its bags from the presidency.

“Mr Speaker, let me say that this particular budget is a true definition of an empty budget. Clearly, the NPP government has said bye-bye to the people of Ghana. This budget is insensitive and out of touch.

“… This government is leaving behind a default economy; this government is leaving behind a government that is debt-riddled, an economy that is overtaxed, an economy that is seeing high food inflation… In fact, you are leaving behind a misery economy… they are also leaving behind an economy where we are seeing massive and uncontrolled corruption according to the Catholic Bishop Conference,” he said.

Dr Ato Forson accused Ofori-Atta, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, of being responsible for the current mess the country finds itself in.

He then mocked the minister, saying that the people, he caused the mess with have now deserted him.

“Mr Minister you and members of the Economic Management Team led by our vice president; you are leaving behind a bankrupt economy… I’m not surprised that today, you are here reading the budget alone. Where is the governor of the Bank of Ghana, nowhere; Where is the vice president, nowhere. Let me say that they cannot abandon you did this with them. And so they are the faces of destruction and you are part of it. Bye-bye Mr Minister, bye-bye NPP. This is your scorecard.”

BAI/NOQ

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