Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said government has used its 2017 budget to make a real statement that it is committed to improving the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.

Calling on Ghanaians to remain hopeful of better days, Dr. Bawumia said at the National Friday Thanksgiving Prayers, that  'this is just the beginning, there is more to come'.

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The budget presented last Thursday included a plan to roll out seven new social intervention and economic planning programmes. Several of the programmes are 2016 campaign promises like the flagship Senior High School which is expected to see parents freed from the pressure of paying tuition fees.

Government announced that it plans to build 275 factories and sink 261 dams to boost agriculture and create jobs.

Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta also announced, government is set to abolish and review at least 12 taxes and levies. The scrapping import duty on spare parts in particular was greeted with wide approval.

Themed “Sowing the seeds for Growth and Jobs”, Ken Ofori-Atta said government will shift economic management from taxation to production.

Dr. Bawumia, hailed as NPP's economic czar, said the Akufo-Addo government has proved the naysayers in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) wrong by demonstrating that it intends to fulfill promises contained in the 2016 manifesto.

He picked the Zongo Development Fund intended to improve social infrastructure and alleviate poverty in Muslim-dominated communities.

"There were people who said he could not do it or he was just making promises. Yesterday in the budget, [Akufo-Addo] provided 219 million cedis for the Zongo Development Fund' ,he said to loud cheers.

The Vice-President said Allah has at a time of Ghana's 60th anniversary, blessed Ghana with real leadership under President Akufo-Addo and urged Muslims to pray for the good of the government.