NPP France On 2014 Budget

This week the executives of the NPP France under the leadership of the chairman Mr. Yaw Owusu called for an emergency meeting to analyse the 2014 budget as in juxtaposed to the current economic condition.

The climax of the meeting compelled the executives to limit their discussions to the four semantic areas the budget captures as its immediate medium term to help put the economy on track. According to the 2014 budget the government priorities: Putting People First, by addressing the Human Development issue – through improved access to quality healthcare and education, addressing productivity and employment needs of our people including the vulnerable.

It is imperative, ladies and gentlemen to draw your attention to an unequivocal fact that their statement above is not a first of its kind they have made such meretricious statements to deceive Ghanaians. Ghanaians please note that paragraph 27 of page 7 of the 2013 budget statement is repeated in the 2014 budget statement.

This propaganda approach reminds us of the famous quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln “you can fool some of the people of all of the time, and all of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”. Otherwise, is it not strange and inconsistent on the government who claims employment matters to him most could channel GH¢32.58 million, representing 10.9 percent on the so called capacity building when this could be appropriated towards the bedrock of the economy, the agriculture sector which accounts for about 65 percent of the work force and makes up for about 40 percent of GDP. Ladies and gentlemen, it is astonishing that only GH¢4.60 million or 1.5 percent was allocated to agricultural. It is common logic to note that such practice alone makes room for the huge unemployment rate we are experiencing.

However, it is important to note that such practices can only occur under an extractive systems of “Ide bii K3K3” government such as the NDC government. There is a strong synergy between propaganda economy and political institution. For instance, propaganda economic instruments concentrate power in the hands of very few group just as former Deputy and Majority leader Alban Bagbin recently alluded to in his criticism of the Mahama led administration.

The problem is that economic structures are geared towards their interest and extract resources from the society. Eventually, they allocate resources towards contracts preferred companies under the guise of Public Private Partnership (PPP). These PPP's have been scrutinized as scandals such as the famous case of the SADA Guinea fowl saga emerged a few months ago.

The second government priority highlighted in the budget statement is: A Strong and Resilient Economy - ensuring and the sustaining macroeconomic stability, competitiveness of private sector, rejuvenating trade and industry; and accelerating agricultural modernization and sustainable natural resources management .

It is important to remind you that economic and fiscal policies that the government championed have led to successive events such as high rate of utility bill, labour unrest, demonstrations and above all corruption and the theft cases unfolding in the recent GYEEDA saga and obscure process to sell Merchant bank etc.

This reckless mismanagement was predicted by Dr. Bawumia and soon after the world bank issued a warning to the government of Ghana to be cautious of it's huge fiscal deficit of ¢6,442.2 million, or 7.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and this was captured in the Ghanaian chronicle 8th Oct, 2013.

More importantly, for the first time in the history of Ghana, $750 million 10-year bond launched was four times oversubscribed and was issued at a yield of 8.5 percent. Petroleum receipt amounted to US$204.90 million (GH¢392.94 million) with the Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF) and the Ghana Stabilization Fund (GSF), which constitute the Ghana Petroleum Funds (GPFs), receiving US$316.09 million. Thus, by end-September 2013, the GPFs had received more revenue.

However, we were shocked and dumbfounded, when all these revenues were revealed to us. The subsequent question we asked ourselves was that, if not for cruelty and insensitivity , why should the government not even use part of this money for an expansionary projects in the universities. For example this year alone it was disheartening to read a myjoyonline article on August 14, 2013 that Legon was not ready to increase new student intake. The Chronicle also published a similar article that detailed, that this year alone, over 50,000 SHS applied to the University of Ghana,Legon, but the University could only admit, 17,000 both fee-paying and non fee paying. The Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology received over 45,000 applications for admission, but could only admit, 17,000.

Ghanaians, after all the revenue that that have been reported to be flowing into the economy, Is this what the “i care for you government” could offer to the tertiary education sector? What will be the fate of these students who have not got the chance to continue to tertiary level? Perhaps could this be the reasons for the enhanced propagada machinery and incumbency abuse to fight against the free education policy which was proposed by the NPP and endorsed by other political parties? Just as Mr. Yaw Owusu, chairman of NPP France said in his conclusion address on this issue, “what is more worrying and dangerous is that, When such issues are raised, the government is quick to respond that those student can go to the private universities, but the question is, could the parents and students under the current economy afford the cost of private universities?”

It is within this spectrum that we are asking, what exactly is the government really using our money

for? Why should we be paying for services yet we are denied consumption? For Instance, the stock of public debt (including government guaranteed debt) increased by 22.7 percent from US$19,150.78 million at the end of 2012 to a provisional estimate of US$23,498.76 million at the end of September 2013. As a percentage of GDP, the public debt increased from 49.3 percent at the end of 2012 to 52.0 percent at the end of September 2013.

How did government's expenditure lead to this debt? As we speak, we are all living witness of the crisis in basic services such as electricity, water,food, health insurance, wages and education. These necessities have become very challenging for ordinary Ghanaians to enjoy. Meanwhile Ghanaians pay taxes and monies are constantly borrowed from international partners in the name of the Ghanaians, with resources such as gold, timber and oil as collateral in securing loans yet the reward is economic hardship and poverty. The government should come out clean and answer Ghanaians.

The third priority of the budget statement committed to: Expanding Strategic Infrastructure, especially oil and gas, strategic roads, ports and special development zones

Though a colourful phrase for attractive and convincing but it is with much disappointment that the manufacturing sectors growth has declined from 5.0 percent to 2,5 percent, as confirmed in the 2014 budget. NPP France shares the concerns our Party and the rest of the Ghanaians have about the current state of affairs in Ghana including, unemployment. The disincentives it creates in the minds of indigenous Ghanaians and international investors to engage in the energy sectors. It becomes so, because the enabling environment which the government was supported to create to entice investors have rather been, shared among themselves under the cover up of programs such as SADA and GYEEDA. Perhaps that should remind you and give you an additional clue as to why the government as at now is unable to publish the list of people who were alleged in the GYEEDA report.

Why should a government that says he is committed to fighting corruption turns around covering certain people. Though, we shall not make an attempt to doubt the independence of the AG's office as the President has instructed her and the anti-corruption agency, but to avoid any doubts and promote an open, accessible and accountable government, will it not be fair and better for the government to publish the names of the alleged corrupt people in the GYEEDA report. That is why many Ghanaians are asking, what is really in that report that the President is finding it difficult to publish. Corrupt practices are not the earmark for expanding strategic infrastructure such as energy.

It is sad that the government still have the impetus to discuss the last point outlined below. Before I will articulate the views of the leadership of NPP France, i will like to share an opinion expressed by one of my friends on the social media platform he say “so who reduce the utility tariffs by 25 percent, is it the PURC or the government ? And by this reduction are the masses supposed to be enthused' on that same page and on the same platform one of his friends replied “ i wonder if the so called 25 percent reduction shall reflect in reality, the PURC cannot independently enforce any policy without the government interference, please don't forget, there is no such independent institution in this country, it only exist in writing but does not reflect in reality”

As a matter of fact this view is shared by millions of Ghanaians in Ghana. How can the government after the incidence of utility case still be having the courage to be addressing the point below

● enhancing, transparency, Decentralised and Accountable governance, in a manner that focuses priority on anti corruption measures, advancing decentralisation and service provision to citizens.

We are of the absolute belief and convinced based on the evidences available that the constitutional instrument articulated in Article 179 of the 1992 constitution(Authorisation of Expenditure) is basically what they seem to fulfil but not to outline any better policy to mitigate the economic challenges and suffering we are currently facing.

The 2014 budget which they shamely used the words of Nana Addo Dankwa Afuffo Addo's “transforming the Ghanaian economy”, they framed the budget as a transformational budget but in analysing “ Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda” is Ghana share poverty and Depression Agenda.

We members of the NPP believe in the people and it's inclusive approach of governance and have the able men and women to carry the vision of Ghana to the satisfaction of all Ghanaians. The Battle is and continues to be the Lord's!

Long live Ghana!
Long Live NPP!!
Sign; Communication team:
Mr. Agya owusu (comn. Dir.)
Mr. Yaw Baah (Dep. Dir)
Alandu Frank ( Researcher)