NDC 2016 GDP worst in 22 not 23 years - Ato Forson 'corrects' Akufo-Addo

Former deputy Finance minister Ato Forson has criticised President Akufo-Addo for failing to stick to the facts in his State of the Nation Address delivered last Tuesday.

Debating the address in Parliament Thursday, the Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP Cassiel Ato Forson pointed out as false the claim that under the former NDC government, Ghana's economy recorded the worst growth since 1993.

“Notwithstanding the record amount of financial resources at the disposal of the previous government, Ghana’s GDP growth in 2016 (including oil) is estimated at 3.6 per cent. This is the lowest GDP growth in about 23 years.”, the President said in his maiden SONA.

But Ato Forson in a debate full of heckling said in 1994 under the first NDC government, real GDP was 3.6%. The NDC MP said, it is 22 years.

"So it cannot be 23 years so next time be accurate" he stressed.

Ato Forson also expressed disappointment that the President claim that Ghana's debt is 74% of the country's economy an indices known as the debt to GDP ratio.

He said it was premature for the President to state emphatically that the debt to GDP ratio was 74% because the Ghana Statistical Service is yet to complete its computation of 2016 economic data.

According to him, the President should have stated that this figure is provisional and suggested it could be lower albeit marginally if the data computation is completed.

Ato Forson courted more heckling from the Majority after he stated that the NDC's economic performance is 'far superior' to the NPP's record.

He said to get a true picture of the NDC's record, it is important to compare 8 years of its government to the NPP's 8years when it was in power from 2001 to 2008.

" I challenge our colleagues to judge us how we grew the economy in 8years and compare it to how they grew the economy"

If this analysis is done, it will show that the average growth rate is 5.6% under NPP but 6.8% under the NDC.

"Mr. Speaker, these are facts. These are facts", the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam MP said.

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