Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
Mid-year budget statements are meant to be serious engagements during which the Finance Minister tells the nation through their representatives the state of the kitty and whether or not reviews should be considered by the House.
The first such engagement after the maiden budget statement of the Mahama government saw the Finance Minister forgetting himself and thinking erroneously that he was on a campaign platform.
He used the occasion to spew untruths and to attempt to run down the previous administration whose prudent economic policies led to so much being left in the state kitty for the new government to lavish.
We were amazed at his attempt at rubbishing the gold-for-oil initiative and its attendant success in stabilising the prices of petroleum products.
It is instructive to note that this initiative has won national plaudits for its role in protecting the prices of petroleum products against the vicissitudes of the international market.
The lowest point in the minister’s presentation is warped reference about the gold-for-oil initiative.
In six months, Ghanaians have watched in awe how galamsey has intensified with National Democratic Congress (NDC) top personalities partaking in it. Coming against the campaign time promise of stopping it within a few weeks upon assuming power, the reality is now haunting them.
To cheapen the importance of mid-term budget statements to propaganda about the prices of sanitary pads is most unfortunate. It just shows how low we have gone in governance.
The real strength of the cedi against the dollar is what prevails where the latter is available, which is the black market and not at the banks where it is not.
Business persons have had cause to complain about the non-availability of dollars at the banks even as the apex bank continues to disturb us with lies about the GH¢10 to the dollar rate.
We also took note of the lies about projects. We shall like to commend the former Roads and Highways Minister for responding to the untruths.
Engaging in spewing untruths is ungentlemanly and should be especially avoided by persons who hold top public offices.
As a member of the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, there could not have been a better presentation about the truth.
It is insulting to the intelligence of Ghanaians when we are told by the Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson that the previous government took loans to undertake the Ofankor–Nsawam Road and Suame Interchange but used the funds on “other things”.
The reality we have learnt is that a $750 million Afreximbank Facility secured under former President Akufo-Addo was not for one or two projects.
Intended for a multi-purpose infrastructure facility and as duly approved by Parliament, it was structured to support critical national road projects across Ghana, the former minister explained rather convincingly.
Projects covered were the Ofankor–Nsawam Road, Suame Interchange, Flowerpot Interchange, Dualisation of School Junction to Motorway ( Borteyman) and the bypasses on Accra-Kumasi Road (Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi, and Konongo).
The financing of the projects were arranged to complement as it were Government of Ghana counterpart funding and, as the former minister said, disbursed in phases according to clearly defined project milestones.
The Finance Minister preferred playing dirty propaganda instead of convincing Ghanaians about how government is going to complete these important projects.
Had it been possible, the Finance Minister would have told Ghanaians during his presentation that the former administration did not do any project at all for the country.
For a government which has embarked upon a project of tarnishing the image of their predecessors and hanging them at the marketplace, we are unsurprised about the undignified presentation by the Finance Minister.
Avoiding propaganda during such sessions enhances respect and raises the bar of governance.