NDC Did Better Than NPP -IMF

…Poverty Reduced; Child, Infant Mortality Rates Dropped

Accra, Oct. 13, PeaceFMOnline -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have confirmed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), when in power, had managed to reduced poverty substantially although it did not opt for the Heavily Indebted and Poor Country (HIPC) initiative.

The BretonWoods institutions also confirmed that under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, a recent survey shows a rise in child and infant mortality rates. They further revealed that Ghana still has significant disparities in the poverty distribution especially in the northern region.

In a press release number 04/144, July 13, 2004, the IMF and the World Bank had categorically stated that, “Ghana's average GDP per capita over the past decade was approximately US$300. “The proportion of the population living in poverty fell steadily from 51 percent in 1992 to 39 percent in 2000 (under NDC).

“Though human development indicators have generally improved over the same period (NDC ERA) a recent survey (under NPP) shows a rise in child and infant mortality rates,” the release said.

The release went further to state that, “Ghana still has significant disparities in the poverty distribution, especially in its northern region,” even though “poverty related expenditures in Ghana have increase from 41/2 percent of GDP in 2001 to 61/2 percent in 2003,” (under NPP). There is no gainsaying the fact that excruciating poverty is making the lives of many Ghanaians dreadful.