Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has described former President John Dramani Mahama as a dreamer who has nothing new to offer Ghanaians.

He said the difference between Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Mahams is that the second gentleman of the land is a man with vision, whereas the former president is one with impaired vision.

He argued that the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demonstrated that he is more competent, capable, and has the requisite skills to manage the economy better than Mr. Mahama.

He made the remarks while concluding the debate on the 2024 budget statement submitted before parliament by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

He said through the digitization agenda, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has generated additional Ghc8 billion and not by increasing workshift or a 24-hour economy.

These are fundamental and rudimental, and we thought that somebody who has been at the helm of affairs as Vice President and President would have at least acknowledged them.

He added that Ghana’s economic policies over the past seven years have yielded positive results, with significant growth possible if not for the disruptions caused by COVID and the Russia-Ukraine war.

The lawmaker argued that the government has developed the Post COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG) to address domestic vulnerabilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, including high living costs, unsustainable debt, fiscal stress, dwindling International Reserves, rising interest rates, and low growth.

He said the Ghanaian government’s 2024 budget aims to boost economic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian War by committing GH¢2 billion to private sector lending.

The budget also aims to coordinate with the Bank of Ghana to reduce interest rates to single digits in the next two years, making the economy more competitive and attracting private investment.