The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi Esq has vehemently criticized the government over the 2024 mid-year budget review presentation.
The National Communications Officer of the opposition party, in a scathing critique, chastised the New Patriotic Party administration led by President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for failing to address the pressing issues facing Ghanaians.
“I’m very surprised at some of the comments that my good brother Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi has made on this 2024 mid-year budget review statement. Because there is nothing in this budget that addresses the problems we are going through today.
“It is nothing but the same old story that the NPP has been telling us since they took office in 2017. Sweet, mouth-watering, rhetorics. And in terms of real substance, empty. That is what this 2024 mid-year budget review is all about.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communications, NDC
Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi criticized the budget for lacking any tangible solutions to the economic hardships faced by Ghanaians, adding that there is “nothing in it that offers the people of this country, the suffering masses, any hope”.
According to him, the 2024 Mid-Year budget as presented by the Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adams is not going to have any improvement in the livelihoods of Ghanaians, particularly, their ever-worsening livelihoods.
He further lambasted the government for relying on slogans rather than effective policies since it assumed power in 2017.
“You see, as for budgets, they have presented several of them with very interesting names. Interestingly, I realized that this Mid-Year budget review did not have a slogan. I am sure that now the reality has set in, and now they have come to the realization that you can win power with slogans but you can’t govern a nation with slogans; You can’t run an economy with slogans.
“Once upon a time, in 2017, we heard of ‘Asempa Budget’. Later on, we heard of the ‘Nkosua Budget’, ‘Mpumtuo Budget’, ‘the Agyenkwa Budget”, ‘the Nkabom Budget’, and we even had “the Nkunim Budget”, and so on. What have been the end results of all those budget slogans? Very simple, the result is a nation in total bankruptcy”.
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communications, NDC
NPP Responsible for Ghana’s Economic Woes
Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, in his scathing critique of the current government, attributed the country’s financial woes to what he termed as Vice President Dr. Bawumia’s “reckless economic mismanagement and excessive borrowing.”
He pointed out the country’s debt default and soaring unemployment rate as evidence of the administration’s failures.
“The unemployment rate is soaring. It has increased from about 8.4% as of 2016 to close to 15% as we speak. The majority of the youth are unemployed. There is nothing in this budget”, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi emphasized.
Moreover, the National Democratic Congress National Communications Officer criticized the government’s refusal to remove several high taxes, including the COVID-19 levy during the 2024 Mid-Year Budget Review presentation.
He questioned the necessity of the COVID-19 levy in 2024, arguing that the government had misused funds meant for pandemic relief.
“The opportunity they had to do something about the numerous nuisance, draconian and crippling taxes. This time again, they refused to do anything about it. And that is what tells me that this government has already checked out. They don’t even have a modicum of empathy. Why must Ghanaians still pay the COVID-19 levy in 2024? What is that explanation?”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communications, NDC
Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi further accused the NPP government of misusing COVID-19 funds for electoral gains and corruption, chastising the administration for lying about the truth of the revenue received during COVID-19.
“At least if you check the auditor general’s report, he captured 22,000,000,000 cedis. Meanwhile, the NPP government misused all these funds in the name of COVID-19, mainly to win the 2020 elections and as a result of corruption”, Lawyyer Sammy Gyamfi concluded.
He emphasized that the current administration has failed to provide meaningful solutions to the economic challenges facing Ghana, calling the mid-year budget review a missed opportunity to alleviate the suffering of the Ghanaian people.
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