The Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu in the Savannah region John Abdulai Jinapor has called on President Nana Akuffo-Addo to dissolve his current economic management team led by the Vice President Dr. Mohammudu Bawumia owing to the “shambolic” nature of the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, government’s tax revenues are unable to satisfy debts and pay wages as well as salaries of workers and has since pushed government into borrowing and placing more burden and suffering on Ghanaians.
“Today, when we collect our tax revenue, it can’t even satisfy debt servicing and then wages and salaries, that is the true state of the Ghanaian economy, Mr. Speaker, the people of Ghana are suffering”, he stressed.
Contributing to the debate on the 2022 budget statement in Parliament on November 23, 2021, the NDC MP argued that, Ghana did not arrive at the current state of the country’s economy by accident, adding that it was due to the fact that the economic management team led by Dr. Mohammudu Bawumia “has demonstrated a clear sign of incompetence, that is the truth Mr. Speaker”.
“If you look at the figures, we cautioned them, we told them about borrowing, we told them about the deficit and they insisted that they knew better, I think that the time has come for the President to consider doing the noble thing by dissolving the economic management team and getting a competent team to manage the economy” Mr. Jinapor argued
“Today, how families will even put three square meals on the table is a major problem and as members of Parliament, I think that we should show concern, and we should show empathy and I just came back from the constituency, and everywhere you go, even in the North, the slogan is that, wahala, wahala, wahala”, he narrated on the floor.
Mr. Jinapor continued that, “unfortunately, one would have thought that this government would changed course, but when you look at the 2022 budget, it is even worst than the 2021 budget and this can not be described as Agyankwa budget”
“Mr. Speaker, they’re seeking to raise tax revenue from 55 billion to 80 billion and what it means is that they want to increase our tax base by 45%. In fact, total revenue is estimated at 100 billion”.
Yapei-Kusawgu MP lamented that, government in the 2022 budget statement seeks to increase fees and charges by a minimum of 15% and “Mr. Speaker, just like the ranking member said, even when you’ve lost your relative and you want to access mortuary service, this government want you to pay more additional 15%” he said in bewilderment.
