We can neither deny nor ignore the fact that under the erstwhile NDC administration, Ghana experienced massive economic meltdown which regrettably brought to pass harsh socio-economic standards of living.
Thus, it will be extremely difficult for any economist or government to reverse such mess within a shortest possible time.
Given the circumstances, the critics are far from right for asserting somewhat passionately that President Akufo-Addo has wilfully worsened the plight of Ghanaians since assuming power on 7th January 2017.
If for nothing at all, Akufo-Addo received massive commendations and endorsements from a host of international organisations and other prominent individuals leading to the 2020 general elections.
Take, for example, sometime in 2019, a video clip went ‘vile’ showing a Nigerian scholar, who happened to be a guest speaker at a forum organised by the leadership of the opposition NDC, candidly commending the Akufo-Addo government on Ghana’s auspicious economic growth, apparently, to the utter chagrin of his hosts (the NDC Executives), many of whom were extremely befuddled on the guest speaker’s unbelievable intellectual honesty.
The overarching question however is: Did the NDC loyalists really trust the judgement of the said knowledgeable and largely credible Nigerian academic?
Well, I am pretty sure they did; else they would not have invited him to speak on Ghana’s economy at their special gathering.
Interestingly, preceding the honest and erudite Nigerian’s endorsement of Ghana’s well-publicised propitious economic growth, were praises from some credible international organisations and influential people, both home and abroad. Indeed, but for the unspeakable coronavirus, Ghana’s economy would have been transformed tremendously.
Prior to the 2020 general elections, the reputable Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reported that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) was going to retain power in the 2020 general elections (see: ‘2020 election is yours to lose-EIU predicts NPP victory’; myjoyonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 15/09/2019).
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report concluded that former President John Dramani Mahama was going to find it extremely difficult to convince discerning Ghanaians into accepting that he is the preferable manager of Ghana’s economy, given his abysmal performance while in office and the country’s fairly strong economic growth under President Akufo-Addo.
The Economist Intelligence Unit could not have put it any better: Ghana is indeed heading towards a favourable economic growth under the NPP government.
In fact, before the deadly coronavirus, Akufo-Addo’s administration moved Ghana’s economic growth from a disappointing 3.4% in December 2016 to a favourable 8.6%.
And the previously double digit inflation (15.8 in December 2016) was reduced drastically to around 7.5%.
Truly, the EIU was extremely charitable to former President Mahama for failing to make it clear that NDC would have stood a better chance in 2020 if the party Delegates had elected a different flagbearer.
Since assuming power on 7th January 2017, the Akufo-Addo’s government has rolled out numerous social intervention programmes and policies such as the One District One Factory, One Constituency One Million, Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Expert and Rural Development, Free SHS, One Village One Dam in the Northern Regions, National Builders Corp (NABCO), amongst others.
The vast majority of Ghanaians, in fact, have benefited immensely from the implementation of the aforesaid programmes and policies. So it is somewhat fallacious for the sceptics to assert that the thriving economy is not reflecting in the pockets of Ghanaians.
Let us remind ourselves that since the inception of the Fourth Republican Constitution, the successive NPP governments have introduced numerous interventions such as the Free Maternal Care, the NHIS, the Metro Mass Transport, the School Feeding Programme, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), and the Free SHS, amongst others.
Take, for example, upon taking office, the Akufo-Addo government took pragmatic steps and restored the Nurses and Teachers Allowances which were regrettably cancelled by the erstwhile Mahama administration.
So do the economic experts want to tell us that such interventions aren’t reflecting in the pockets of the Nurses and Teachers?
In addition, the Akufo-Addo’s government has judiciously distributed the national resources in the form of Free SHS, which has paved way for more than 400,000 children a year, including the over 190,000 children who otherwise would not have the opportunity to enter senior high school.
There is no gainsaying the fact that parents are reaping tremendous benefits from the Free SHS policy.
It is, anticipated that the government will spend not less than GH5532.83 over a period of three years on each student.
In effect, parents with three children in SHS will be pocketing not less than GH16598.49 over three years.
So how can any economist convince some of us, who are mere plebes when it comes to economics that the Free SHS scheme is not reflecting in the lives of Ghanaian parents?
Given the fact that the erstwhile Mahama’s administration wilfully left behind massive debt amidst economic meltdown, it was, indeed, commendable for Akufo-Addo’s government to afford to implement the seemingly admirable, albeit costly social intervention such as Free SHS.
It was, also quite estimable for the incumbent NPP administration to relieve Ghanaians of over eighteen nuisance taxes which had hitherto crippled businesses.
The sensitive Akufo-Addo government commendably slashed the import taxes (30% on cars and 50% on goods) to the utter delight of importers, and Ghanaians as a whole.
Suffice it to emphasise that since the announcement of the reductions of benchmark values, some beneficiaries have attested to considerable discounts.
Take, for example, we have been informed by some credible sources that following the announcement, the duty on a Toyota Corolla saloon car has been reduced from GHC22, 000 to GHC15, 000.
Obviously, there is a considerable discount of GHC7000. Isn’t this money going into a Ghanaian pocket?
k.badu2011@gmail.com
From Badu, UK.