The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Sammy Adu Gyamfi has highlighted the party’s plans for the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) when the party wins the Presidential Election in December and forms a government in 2025.
He indicated that the former President assured the GUTA that the next NDC administration will continue its modernization of market agenda nationwide when the party wins the election, adding that the next Mahama government will create a stable macroeconomic environment to ensure predictability and growth for businesses.
Moreover, the NDC Communicator noted that as the NDC was the lone voice on the government’s reckless borrowing spree in 2019, the NDC flagbearer promised that the NDC would place a cap on the government’s borrowing when it returns to power in 2025.
He revealed that the NDC flagbearer had made it known to the members of the GUTA during their meeting that he (Mr. Mahama) had advised President Akufo-Addo “not to touch ESLA lest we go back into Dumsor”.
He argued that the former President instituted the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA) to cater particularly to the energy sector debts.
“We shall introduce stringent reforms to ensure fiscal discipline. COVID-19 was a disaster but also an opportunity due to huge financial inflows. It takes a visionary leader to set up economic buffers like sinking funds, and stabilization funds”.
John Dramani Mahama
Furthermore, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi indicated that the former President had shown his aversion to the Meridian Port Services’ (MPS) payment of over $200 million to the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA); $70 million of which is being spent on the Boankra inland port project.
He reiterated the NDC flagbearer’s commitment to rationalize charges at the ports and scrap needless ones, emphasizing that the port will work 24/7 including weekends and holidays under the NDC’s 24-hour economy policy.
Port Businesses
According to Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, the former President also promised to license special financial institutions to support businesses in clearing their goods at the port while he (Mahama) pledged to discontinue the collection of illegal and excessive fees by shipping lines that cost businesses financially.
He further stated that the NDC flagbearer expressed shock at twenty-two (22) levies and fees on the clearing of goods at the ports and promised to scrap some, noting that Mr. Mahama cautioned GUTA against the Vice President’s misleading promises to the Association.
“We shall expand the tax net to reduce the tax burden on the formal sector and traders. Tell Bawumia to scrap E-levy, and other taxes now, not later. We are going to work together to make your businesses better”.
John Dramani Mahama
Accordingly, the NDC Communicator noted that given the shortfalls Ghana is facing in forex due to the decline in cocoa output and underinvestment in new oil fields, John Mahama pledged that the next NDC government will pursue an aggressive agenda of import substitution and self-sufficiency to balance the deficit recorded in foreign exchange.
Mr. Adu Gyamfi also stated that the former President also noted that the next NDC government will move away from the overemphasis on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and focus on Gross National Product (GNP) to ensure proper measures of the country’s economic growth.
He also indicated that the NDC will set up an Independent Value for Money office to scrutinize all government procurements, especially single-source contracts to promote transparency and accountability in the dealings of the government.
He stated that the NDC flagbearer also pledged not to interfere in the work of anti-corruption agencies to give these agencies autonomy in the conduct of their work.
Moreover, the flagbearer, according to Mr. Gyamfi, pledged to establish a National Apprenticeship program to train and equip the youth with the necessary skills and logistics for job creation while emphasizing that the NDC government will ensure that businesses engaged in production, pay lower electricity tariffs than residential users.
Conclusively, Mr. Gyamfi noted that the former President promised to establish a National Women’s Bank to provide financial support for businesses owned by women while he advised Ghanaians to ignore the Vice President’s “mischief on his [Mahama’s] honeymoon comment”.
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