CPP STATEMENT: ECONOMIC GROWTH MUST REFLECT IN THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF GHANAIANS, NOT IN STATISTICS.

The Convention People’s Party CPP is surprised at how, this past week, the Mills-led NDC Administration has trumpeted so-called achievements particularly in the areas of inflation and GDP growth. Ghana’s economy is reported to be the fastest growing one, not just in Africa but in the whole wide world! Inflation is said to have gone to its lowest level in several years at less than 9%. The “Better Ghana” agenda according to NDC propagandists is working in full steam.

But the CPP and the good people of Ghana want to know if, it is statistics or people that President Mills and his NDC government are interested in? It is also instructive to note which countries we are in this “high grade” category with. According to a release by EconomyWatch.com, other countries which were selected among the 12 fastest-growing economies in the world were India, Angola, Iraq, Ethiopia, Mozambique, East Timor and Laos.

The Founder of the CPP, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah established as early as in 1951 the key principle of governance when the CPP made known boldly that in power, the Party wished to be judged by people-centered standards. These included the quality of education, access to good health care, affordable housing and jobs. The CPP has not relented or shifted course from these human objectives.

Indeed, the 2008 manifesto of the Party affirmed this in clear, unambiguous terms. We are therefore quite disappointed by the NDC propaganda aimed at creating make-believe paradise on earth in Ghana. The reality is that the human condition for the majority of our people has deteriorated at the individual, micro level since January 2009 when President Mills and the NDC took office to run the affairs of this country. We urge the government to look past the pockets of wealth doted here and there in the urban centers to where the majority of our people – farmers, fishermen and workers live. Indeed, for many Ghanaians, we are in a “Beggar Ghana”.

The facts on the ground, contrary to the statistics confirms a “Bitter Ghana”; Cholera, housing crisis for workers and the general population (while the housing project started by the previous administration is on hold and the STX deal stalled); high unemployment characterized by unemployed graduates desperate enough to form a pressure group to demand jobs; angry fishermen constantly protesting government’s high-handedness and inability to deliver on campaign promises to bring sanity to this industry that caters for more than 2 million workers people; slow implementation of the single spine salary structure for public sector workers amidst threats of redundancies to come; frequent interruptions in power supply; scarcity in LPG (gas) supply with the government blaming the victims who have realized the economic value in using this cleaner, cheaper source of fuel; frustrated domestic industrialists who are suffering due to unbridled importation of everything under the sun with no protection from their government.

So we ask again, what is the Mills-led Administration so happy about? Relatively high gold prices that go to benefit the foreign owners of our gold mines; low inflation induced by not spending to match an expanding economy; freeze on employment in the public sector to reduce the wage bill; accumulation of arrears due to the non-payment of contractors and others; sharp increases in foreign and domestic debt as a result of heavy borrowing; and oil revenue from the Jubilee Field among others. When the Tema Oil Refinery and other state institutions are starved of funds to finance their activities, can we rejoice in “prudent management”?

Just as people know that money does not like noise, in the same way, poverty cannot hide. Indeed, hunger, disease, homelessness and joblessness are tough to bear for all human beings. All the propaganda in the world will not make it possible for the Mills-led NDC Administration to convince hungry people in Ghana that their bellies are full. Giving handouts and “loans” from state institutions to foot soldiers and party loyalists does not mean that all Ghanaians have become better off.

The majority of the people must be lifted up with people-centered economic policies designed to create jobs at home. To paraphrase a former President of this country, “…we cannot eat statistics”. For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to make it abundantly clear that we are not against single digit inflation or a high GDP. Our economy must grow. But it should grow and at the same time lift up all of our people from poverty, disease and homelessness. Our economy must grow to benefit Ghanaians.

What will the CPP do? The CPP through “How the CPP Will Do It” series has outlined alternative policies made public through the media in many areas including the economy, health, employment, environment and agriculture. Our Party is decidedly people focused and Ghanaian in character. We aim to bring the economy back home by giving the Ghanaian private sector – industries, contractors, consultants, home builders, engineers, etc. preference through the use of the state’s purchasing power. The rapid industrialization of the country is not negotiable as we will make use of the enormous powers and authorities of government to support, nurture domestic companies and guarantee them a market at home. Through our pan-African agenda, we will create a market beyond our borders in cooperation with our continental partners. Our single-minded purpose is to see a Ghanaian employed, well-paid and able to meet his or her obligations with unflinching and fierce support of a CPP government.

Our problems have remained largely the same because those who have had the opportunity to administer the affairs of Ghana in recent years, have not shared our belief in the CPP core values and hence have been incapable of implementing them.

We wish to remind the Mills-led NDC Administration and the country that as Ghanaians remain in need of the basics of life, the CPP’s goal as a Party remains as follows:

“…to establish in Ghana a strong and progressive society in which no one will have any anxiety about the basic means of life, about work, food and shelter; where poverty and illiteracy no longer exist and disease is brought under control; and where our educational facilities provide all the children with the best possibilities for the development of their potentialities.”

The CPP’s objective is to “bring the economy back home”. This unique signature has been captured in the official manifestos of the Party since 2004. The objective is consistent with the Party’s principle of self determination. It means that the CPP’s economic policy will be felt and as a result, known in every village, town and municipality in all corners of our country.

Our economic objective is different from what has been offered by the NDC 1 & 2 and NPP 1 Administrations. In practical terms it means that the CPP will take an aggressive posture to wean the economy away from the IMF, the World Bank and other international finance institutions. It means that the CPP will not mortgage the future of our children and our natural resources to our detriment and the benefit of other nations as we believe the STX Korea agreement and existing oil and gas agreements will do.

It means that the CPP will not sell the Agricultural Development Bank or the Ghana Railways Company but will rather develop and modernize them to serve the national interest. It means that we will bring back to life the Jute factory to provide the essential sacks to carry the cocoa we produce not only to factories abroad but to our own indigenous value-adding processing plants at home. It means that we will re-design agreements for the exploration of natural resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite and oil and gas to ensure that Ghanaian entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and workers become the main players and the people of Ghana the main beneficiaries. It means that we will achieve this by changing the laws that govern our extractive industries to allow Ghanaians full participation through financial and technical support to local companies. It also means that we will use the right of the state to tax to discourage unbridled importation of everything under the earth and use the revenues to promote the development of our own enterprises.

We find it necessary to remind all Ghanaians that the CPP vision for Ghana in one generation is to be a high income country, in a society that is just, safe, caring, united and prosperous. To achieve this will require SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION. This means transforming our country to become a society that is patriotic, disciplined, self reliant and pursues excellence as a national character, a society that is fair for all and where democratic and economic governance is devolved to the local level. As an integral part, the CPP will actively seek the political and economic unity of Africa to establish the continent’s position in global affairs.

We stand differently from the other political parties. Ours is the only political party that believes that the unity of African States will provide a better market, more opportunities and prosperity for our people at home.

Signed:

DR. PAPA KWESI NDUOM.

CPP SHADOW CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING.

Contact: 0244321055