The Former Deputy Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has said the 2021 budget statement is a ‘Bitter Bawumia budget’ which won’t give Ghanaians any hope.

According to him, the budget is such that it would bring about hardships in the lives of ordinary Ghanaians by introducing more taxes.

“I can assure you that this budget is going to be a bitter budget prepared by Bawumia with the aim to bring hardship to the people of Ghana. Simply put this is a bitter Bawumia Budget,” he stated.

He noted that the budget is also aimed at discouraging contractors owned by government as well as to dwindle Ghana’s economy to the extent that "that if care is not taken, a time will come very near future, this country would not be in the position to service its debt.”

“A budget that would not give hope to the contractors that are being owned by the government. A budget that is not presenting any hope as to how a debt situation of Ghana is going to be resolved."

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Committee on Finance further said that budget is going to cover up for the mismanaged funds and expenditure spent during election period.

“Today, they are going to introduce additional tax on the back of petroleum creating impressions that Ghanaians should be the one to bear the plant obviously for their mismanagement and obviously for the over expenditure during the campaign.

“So they mishandled the economy, mismanaged the economy borrowed to the brim, for the purposes of their selfish electoral gains and in the end the ordinary Ghanaian must part with its own money. Our disposal incomes are going to come down because obviously the government is going to tax us. You think it’s fair?

"Increase hardships in the system at the time that people are complaining of job losses, at the time that people are complaining that business are not doing well because of the economic situation,” Mr Ato Forson added.