General News of Thursday, 14 November 2019

Source: classfmonline.com

Your 'uninspiring budget' merits your 'exit' - Minority to government

Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Haruna Iddrisu has passed a vote of no confidence in the Akufo-Addo government, suggesting that what he considers as an unimpressive 2020 budget is enough basis for the New Patriotic Party to be kicked out of office.

In reaction to the 2020 budget and economic policy statement presented to Parliament on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, the Tamale South legislator said: “One uninspiring budget deserves an exit”.

According to his assessment, the government has done a poor job at alleviating the plight of Ghanaians, insisting: “Ghanaians are worse off under the Akufo-Addo government than the erstwhile Mahama administration”.

Mr Ofori-Atta had stated during his presentation that the NPP has restored the ill economy it inherited back to health, noting: “One good term deserves another”.

Mr Ofori-Atta accused the previous Mahama-led administration of wantonly issuing contracts without any plans to pay for them.

According to him, this has contributed to huge legacy debts which government had to settle after taking office in January 2017.

According to Mr Ofori-Atta, the Mahama government “awarded billions of cedis worth of contracts without knowing about how to pay for them. It was a case of living for today and leaving tomorrow to take care of itself”. He also accused the previous government of taking unwise economic decisions and imposition of taxes on basic goods and services which overburdened citizens.

“The previous government resorted to some draconian fiscal measures, notably the increase in the tax burden of many activities including taxes on condoms, cutlasses as well as Kayayei,” he explained.