2015 budget mere rhetoric - Amoako-Baah

Political Science lecturer, Richard Amoako-Baah, is not enthused about the 2015 budget statement presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Seth Terkper.

In his opinion, instead of providing hope, the budget has rather exacerbated the plight of the suffering masses.

“I'm not impressed by the budget at all; it shows we are not serious” he said on Asempa FM's Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday.

Finance Minister on Wednesday November 19, 2014 presented the 2015 budget statement to Parliament.

The budget which is under the theme: Transformational Agenda; securing the bright medium prospect of the economy among other things focused on plans to move Ghana's economy into an industrial one.

Seth Terkper also announced the introduction of new taxes on petroleum prices and imports but removed taxes on the importation of smartphones into the country

However, the Political Science Professor at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) said the budget is uninspiring.

He indicated that there was nothing in the budget to control government spending and to resuscitate Ghana's ailing economy.

“Are we playing games? If we continue along this path, the government will not survive till the ends of 2015" he predicted.

Dr. Amoako-Baah expressed worry about government's continuous borrowing when Ghana's debt stock has hit 60.8 percent of the country's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“It will get to a point where we will not be able to borrow money anymore. Now it I borrow, borrow, borrow” he bemoaned.

  Story by Ghana/Adomonline.com/Adwoa Gyasiwaa