The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday held a roundtable discussion in Parliament ahead of the presentation of the 2019 budget statement on Thursday, November 15.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators said the Akufo-Addo government inherited a relatively stable country characterised by a constant power supply and robust oil and gas production but the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has failed to turn these into further economic growth.

“Amidst great pomp and pageantry, the Akufo-Addo government through the Vice President and Finance Minister raised the expectations of Ghanaians through a 2017 budget presentation that continued the unrealistic campaign promises that were foisted on Ghanaians – and is still ongoing.

“Catchy slogans and platitudes were recited as proof of a government that was ready to transform the living conditions of the ordinary Ghanaian through well-crafted economic and social policies. These promises ignored the onset of global crises and exogenous shocks to the domestic economy.

According to the minority, instead of the improved living conditions promised, Ghanaians have been ushered into an era of unprecedented and excruciating hardships.

“The imposition of economic pain that the President was forced to admit are occurring even as we see outcomes from positive factors such as (i) recovery in global demand, prices, and growth; and (ii) increased crude oil and gas output and prices at the very moment that the nation is seeing increasing output from the TEN and Sankofa Petroleum fields,” the Minority said in a released after the discussion. 

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