Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has indicated that the National Economic Forum (NEF) currently ongoing at Akosombo will likely be the last one to be organized by any government in power.

According to him, since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) refused to honour the invitation of the ruling National Democratic Congress to attend the NEF, it is highly possible if they (NPP) organizes any such similar event when they regain power, the NDC will also not attend.

“This might be the last forum because if the NPP comes to power, there is no way they will organize a forum like this and expect the NDC to be in attendance, because of their stance on this current one,” he said contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo ,' Tuesday.

The NPP at a press conference on Monday, stated that it will not be attending the NEF being organized by government. They have described the ongoing forum as a PR gimmick; adding they didn’t receive their invitation letter to attend the programme on time.

Even though Kwesi Pratt Jnr has condemned the delay in sending the letter; ‘if it is true ,' he questioned why the NPP will not go to offer the suggestions they have already offered on various platforms.

“If it is true that the NPP did not receive the letter on time then it is wrong. Under normal circumstance, enough time should be given. Be that as it may, NPP; how many press conferences haven’t you organized on the state of the economy? You said the economy is declining and have raised various suggestions and so what prevents you from making those same suggestions at the forum?” he queried.

Mentioning several fora that have been held both by the NPP and the NDC administration in the past, he asked if the nation had benefitted from them.

“What I know is that one side cannot decide to have a forum. It needs to be from a consensus…Can this forum lead to the expansion of the tax net, adoption of an import substitution policy and industrialization and so on? They are only going to speak big grammars that nobody will understand; per capita income, gross domestic product and so on. Meanwhile, the problems of the economy are known. We need real practical measures,” he intimated.