General News of Friday, 21 November 2014

Source: peacefmonline.com

NAPO: Is it a crime that Ghanaians voted for Mahama?

Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has described the 2015 Annual Economic Policy and Financial Statement presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper as an embarrassing budget.

He wondered how the Mahama-led administration could be that callous to have increased petroleum price by 17.5 per cent when the world price for crude oil has declined drastically.

Speaking on OKAY FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, NAPO as he is affectionately called in political circles, said it is not true that the fuel price is only 3 per cent, describing the explanation by the deputy Finance Minister on the 17.5 per cent tax on petroleum as lies to deceive Ghanaians.

He insisted that the 17.5 per cent tax increment on petroleum cannot translate into 3 per cent, stating the truth is that the world price for crude oil has rather reduced drastically; paving way for the government to have over-recovery of money for 2016 campaign at the expense of Ghanaians wellbeing.

“The 2015 budget is an embarrassment; is it a crime that Ghanaians voted for Mahama? If Ghana’s money were President Mahama’s, would he have allowed what happened yesterday in Parliament to happen? NPA told us that were going to follow the Automatic Price Adjustment formula but now that the world price for crude oil has reduced drastically, this government has callously increased petroleum by 17.5%”, he lamented.

He therefore admonished that with the style of governance of President Mahama, it will not be far-fetched foreseeing what happened in Burkina Faso occurring in Ghana; stressing that though the government is using its majority in the House to pass bills, it can trigger the anger of Ghanaians just as it happened in Burkina Faso.

He feared that Ghanaians will one day march up to Parliament and subject members of the august House to severe beatings for not effectively championing their cause.