“Listening to the honourable Finance Minister, one wonders if he lives in Ghana with us because a lot of the claims he was making, we were really, really dumfounded, utterly shocked” Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says in reaction to the 2018 budget statement read by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Minister of Finance, on Wednesday, presented the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy Statement of the Government to Parliament with the assurance of building a society with equal opportunities for all Ghanaians for inclusive growth.
The budget, which is on the theme: “Putting Ghana Back to Work”, highlights some achievements recorded by the Government within the past 11 months.
The North Tongu MP speaking to the press wondered if the Finance Minister stays in the country because according to him his (Ofori-Atta) impression of the economy is different from what is actually happening.
“He says that the railway sector has been transformed, where? Which part of Ghana? Can the honorable Finance Minister show us one inch of rail line that has been added to our railway system, just one inch, he should show us, where in Ghana? He says dumsor has been resolved, where? Only last night there was dumsor. Yes you can talk about some improvement because of the investment that the President Mahama administration made. Karpower, Ameri, as we speak, this government has not added 1 megawatt to our power generation.
The honorable Finance Minister says one million dollar per constituency has been achieved, at where? I’m a Member of Parliament, no 1 million dollar has arrived in North Tongu so you wonder if the honorable minister is living with us in Ghana. He says that the Zongo Development Fund, monies have been released that it has been achieved, he says that 1-D-1-F, we promised, we have delivered, at where? Can you point to one district in Ghana, the 216 districts in Ghana, which of them has seen this 1-D-1-F? 1-village-1-dam, he says that we have achieved our promises, at where? The honorable Finance minister should come home and live with us”, he said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
