The vice presidential candidate of Ghana’s main opposition Dr Mahamudu Bawumia wants the government to “dismantle” bureaucratic obstacles which favour foreigners, but inimical to Ghanaians.

Dr Bawumia was reacting to the 2016 Budget Statement presented by Finance Minister Seth Terkper a few weeks ago.

Speaking at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank said there are more obstacles in Ghana as compared to opportunities.

“We have to make Ghana a land of opportunities rather than a land of obstacles. The system as it is, is a Pull Him Down System. We have to dismantle it,” Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate told the gathering.

“We have to crush it. The government’s first job is to create an enabling environment for every hardworking Ghanaian to succeed. We will therefore undertake a review of obstacles to progress across different sectors and take steps to remove them.”

He added: “Eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. There are too many bureaucratic obstacles that Ghanaians encounter in many endeavors. Becoming a doctor or a lawyer in Ghana is more difficult than in the USA. Someone with 7 As and one B in English is refused admission to Medical school. Yet we are in a hurry to bring in Cuban doctors who can hardly speak English when we need help. Even top notch doctors in America have a hard time getting licensed to practice in Ghana. Somehow we think we are doing people a favour by allowing you to practice.”

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described his analysis as “hackneyed and pedestrian propaganda”.