Tamale, March 4, GNA- Mr. Cuthbert Kuupiel, Advocacy Programme Manager of Social Enterprise Development (SEND) Foundation, an NGO, has urged civil societies and other stakeholders to get more involved in budgetary discussions to make it more meaningful to the average Ghanaian.

He said this was necessary for the people to have a better appreciation of how the micro-economic indicators reflect on their welfare. Mr Kuupiel was speaking at a public forum organised by the Integrated Social Development Center (ISODEC), an NGO to discuss the 2004 National Budget, in Tamale on Wednesday.

He said: "It is important that civil society becomes more creative in engaging in the various stages of the budget to ensure the efficient use of public resources in the fight against poverty, especially in the three Northern Regions".

Mr Imoro Assifu Alhassan, Upper West Administrative Secretary of the NDC, described the budget as "an election budget", saying that there was nothing positive about it.

He said the President's Special Initiative (PSI) was more concentrated in the South, while the cotton, rice and sheanut industries in the North have virtually been neglected.

He questioned the rationale for establishing a sheanut factory in the South when it is well known that sheanut trees are commonly found in the northern sector of the country.

Reacting to Mr Alhassan's remarks, Mr Abuchi Abdul-Ganiyu, the NPP representative, said the 2004 budget was a novelty, which sought to reduce the tax burden of the ordinary Ghanaian.

He said: "The NPP government works on realistic targets and in taking decisions, it is not influenced by what it can gain through cheap political propaganda to the detriment of the welfare of the people".

"During the nearly 20 years rule of PNDC/NDC, they could not manage the economy well leading to high inflation", he said, adding, "the opposition should therefore allow the NPP administration to stabilise the economy to ensure accelerated development of the country".