GRi in Parliament 05 – 03 - 2003
Budget
debate opens in Parliament
I did not err by
describing budget "killer"-Asaga
New twist to case
filed against A-G
Law of Karma" Affecting
NDC –DPP
Budget
debate opens in Parliament
To set the tone, he
admitted that sections of the statement contain good intentions, but was quick
to add that most of the targets set are unachievable. Asaga
who was criticised severely for describing the budget statement as a “Killer
Budget” moments after it was presented to Parliament, said every minority
spokesman worth his salt should at the spur of the moment be able to describe a
budget based on certain aspects of it and it is a convention. Referring to
former minority spokesmen and how they described former budgets, the minority
spokesman said, I am on target.
Leading the
minority which strength in the House was reduced as a result of the
bye-election in Wulensi, Asaga
said, “in 1979, Hon. Jones Ofori
Attah described the Liman’s
budget as a killer budget. In 1998-2000, Dr. Apraku
(now minister for Trade and Industry) described the NDC budget as Lame Duck
Budget from Lame Duck Government. CEPA described the same budget as Dead on
Arrival. In all these circumstances, the government of the day was not
offended.
Giving reasons for
his description of the budget as a “Killer Budget”, Asaga
also MP for Nabdam said fuel prices which of course
is part of the budget went up for almost 95% with just a slim increase in the
minimum wage in spite of labour’s call for at least 68% increase. This to him
is a clear sign of government’s insensitivity to the plight of the working
people of
He said the
argument that increasing wages will fuel inflation is unattainable and a very
lame excuse from the government. This policy has a Value Added tax element in
it and has affected prices of all goods in the market and has most importantly
affected the people’s purchasing power.
The purchasing
power of Ghanaians by this particular action has eroded, Asaga
said. According to the MP, prices of such goods as milk, sugar, rice, hospital
and school fees, transportation fares and even prices of the controversial “Apuskeleke” activities have also gone up.
The mention of “Apuskeleke” drew the Senior Minister, John Henry Mensah to
his feet. He wanted to know the sampling method he used to know that the price
of “Apuskeleke” have gone up, drawing laughter from
the floor of the House.
Asaga who conveniently ignored the question went
on to point out that, empirical studies have shown that petroleum and fuel
price increases, government over-borrowing and over-spending and wage increases
are the main factors which can cause inflation in the Ghanaian economy.
On government’s
targets for this year, Asaga was emphatic that the
government’s targeted net borrowing at zero for this year is a mere political
rhetoric, which is unachievable. He called on the Ministry of Finance to be
more realistic and review this figure because it amounts to a wild-goose chase.
Historically, no
government has achieved net borrowing at zero. In 2000 government over-borrowed
to the tune of ¢3 trillion. In 2001, the NPP government over-borrowed by
¢700bn. In 2002, the government promised ¢480bn and net borrowing was ¢2.3.
Asaga commended the government for moving away
from chasing wild dreams such single digit inflation rate, as was the case last
year. However, he noted that the government’s projected GDP growth rate of 4.7%
is not ambitious enough and cannot help the country attain her cherished dream
of attaining a $1000 per capita income by the year 2015.
Asaga told an unusually quiet House that in spite
of the tremendous goodwill that the government has enjoyed since it came to
power, it could only set the same stagnant growth rate that the country has
witnessed for the past 10 years.
In the mid 1980s
and early 90s, 4.55 growth rate was significant and tremendous achievement
considering the fact that
We must attain
economic growth rate of 6-8% otherwise, we forget it, he added. Currently,
economic experts both from within and without including three members of the
minority National Democratic Congress are working closely with government to
find solutions to the country’s economic problems. Asaga
has also reaffirmed him description of the Budget as “Killer Budget”.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
I did not
err by describing budget "killer"-Asaga
He said the fuel price hike had
affected every aspect of life in the country adding: "We thought
government was going to cushion us against it but we stare disappointed."
The Member for Nabdam was contributing to a debate on the financial policy
of government for the year ending
"We all understand that
three factors trigger inflation and these are petroleum price hike, over
expenditure or over borrowing by government and wage rise. So for government to
say high wages would bring about inflation is just unfair."
He asked that the three factors
should be balanced in a manner in which the worker would not be the loser. The
Member accused government of trying to "smuggle in" an increase in
the VAT through the "back door".
Asaga, who was a Deputy Minister of
Finance in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, said government
had set very low targets that were easy to achieve but would not help in the
expansion of the economy.
He said the 4.7 per cent Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) target was modest adding that African economies would
have to grow at 7 per cent annually before at least half of the continent's
population could be rescued from poverty.
The Member said
He said government's zero net
borrowing target was not realistic.
"Historically, no government has been able to achieve zero net
borrowing." Eugene Atta Agyepong, Chairman,
Finance Committee, said the budget was a departure from the past when
government depended heavily on donor inflows. "We are looking wider now to
bring in money within our own system."
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
New twist to
case filed against A-G
Amissah’s lawyer however believes that
his client withdrew the case because he is under pressure from certain
quarters. Attorney General, Nana Akuffo Addo, however, urged the Court to continue the case in view
of the debate that it had generated. The Supreme Court therefore fixed 12 March
for the hearing. Judgement in the Quality Grain case was, last week, adjourned
because of the writ at the Supreme Court.
Five former government officials
including two former Ministers of State have been charged with seven counts of
conspiracy and wilfully causing financial loss to the State, contrary to
Sections 23(1) and Sections 179 A (3) (a) of the Criminal Code 1960, Act 29.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Law of Karma" Affecting
NDC –DPP
Ward-Brew who was “ditched” from his
position and roles in the pro NDC EGLE Party, under bizarre circumstances, just
before Election 2000 thinks the party has no future.
According to him, “the worst is yet to
happen to the NDC” and submitted that the NDC is currently in tatters only
awaiting further ruins. He none-the less had a salvaging theory for the party;
it should be completely dismantled, restructured and repackaged to meet the
aspirations of the electorate.
Going spiritual but exhibiting signs of
bitterness from past treatment, Ward-Brew told the Network Herald that the Law
of Karma must be having a toll on the NDC whose leadership tried unfairly to
strangle the junior partners in the Progressive Alliance i.e.DPP
and Egle. He also accused them of isolating the
founder of the Party, Flt lt. J.J. Rawlings from core Party activities for very
selfish motives.
He recalled that the real challenge
confronting the former ruling party is the might of the many power blocks
within their ranks who continue to exert influences that the people they are
leading are not ready to accept. Now in opposition, party loyalists continue to
see most of these “godfathers” as persons who only want to maintain the status
quo while they look elsewhere when it comes to the issue of funds to run the
party with.
“It is rather unfortunate that none of these
so called opinion leaders in the NDC has gathered the moral courage over the
eight years when the party ruled
“These power blocs have rather opened the
Party up to opportunists who pay eye service because they have divided loyalty
that can only lead the NDC to its demise.” Ward-Brew described Ex-president
Jerry Rawlings as an ‘intrinsic factor in both national and local politics that
cannot be wished away like that.”
He said now that Rawlings, who served as the
sole unifying factor of the NDC is brazenly challenged by some in the party’s
leadership especially those who hid behind his charisma when it was expedient
to the extent of possible marginalisation, a secrete conspiracy to prevent the
Party from coming back to power again has been hatched.
The DPP leader advised the current crop of
NDC leaders in executive positions especially the former Ministers of State to
retire from Politics and rather prepare the stage for the next generation of
Politicians, which includes Prof. Atta Mills the flagbearer of the party to
help coin a new image for the party to endear it to the public.
He also advised the former President to
distance himself from any kind of mudslinging as is being witnessed in the body
politic in the country at the moment and rather contribute to nation building
as an Elder Statesman. He thinks the former President has done so much for both
the country and the NDC and must therefore be preserved and not be reduced to
an ordinary person” who is kicked about”. - Source: Network Herald
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com