Ex-Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, says the four year mandate given the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) will amount to a waste of the country’s time. Mr. Boateng cited portions of the NDC manifesto which targeted a 5.8 per cent growth in the Gross Domestic Product for 2009, saying “if we (NPP) grew the economy to 7.3 and they tell us 5.8, it means they can’t handle it.” The NDC has posited Ghana to hit middle income status in the year 2020, but this Mr Boateng insists has put the country five years back. He argued the NPP before leaving office had targeted 2015 for Ghana to attain middle income status and were on track to achieving the target. He made reference to the Millennium Development Goals which he said showed that Ghana was on hand to achieve middle income in 2015. Mr. Asamoah was touting the achievement of the NPP in managing the economy, at a press conference held by officials of the NPP to rebut accusations made by the Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. Mr. Ablakwa had at a press conference accused the NPP of poorly managing the economy and also issued an ultimatum for ex-government appointees to return state vehicles in their possession. Nana Akomea, ex-Employment Minister who addressed the press conference said the NPP has shown by the facts and the reality that it is better managers of the economy than the NDC. Comparing the macro economic indices between the two periods, Nana Akomea said whilst the currency in the 8 years rule of the erstwhile NDC government depreciated by over 600 per cent, it depreciated less than a 100 percent over the same period in the NPP administration. He said Inflation was over 40 percent in 2000, but 18.1 percent in 2008. International reserves were $233 million in 2000, but 2.1 billion in 2008, and external debt was 156 per cent of GDP in 2000 but was reduced to 27 per cent of GDP in 2008. On economic growth, he said the economy fluctuated under the reign of the then NDC, with a growth rate of 4.2 per cent in 1997, to 3.7 per cent in 2000, whilst the NPP chalked a sustained growth with 3.8 per cent in 2001, to 7.3 per cent in 2008. In monetary value, the size of the economy was $3.8 billion in 2000, but more than quadrupled to over $16 billion in 2008. The NPP said the government must rather call for assistance if it cannot manage the economy and stop chasing cars. Listen to excerpts of the press conference in the attached audio. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline