Minority MPs react to 2012 budget, terming it as propaganda.
Members of parliament received the 2012 budget statement with mixed feelings. Whiles members of the majority hailed the budget as one that presents hope for the people the Minority described it as a rehash of the previous year’s budget statement.
The minority members thought the 2012 budget should be forward looking whilst taking stock of past mistakes to be able to build on strong strategies to address the country’s developmental problems.
They have expressed disappointment about the document saying the 2012 budget did not address issues that really affected the people but rather served as a propagandist tool by the NDC government to win the 212 general elections.
Speaking to e.tv Ghana news, the MP for Wenkyi, PROF.George Gyan Baffuor said, “I knew he was going to paint a very good picture of the economy, although Ghanaians are not reaaly feeling any of the economic achievements he outlined. The cost of living is so high and for him to paint a rosy picture like this, it is only somebody who does not live in this country who will agree with him.”
Richard Annane, MP for Bantama, also expressed his disappointment saying that, “if u took last year’s budget, and u did cut and paste with this year’s budget u will not see a difference. It’s just a rehash of the same things, there is nothing radical, nothing transformational. It failed to look at the big issues, water supply, and electricity supply. How r u going to get industries when there is erratic water supply. There is nothing in the budget that is really going to deal with the electricity problem.”
But the majority side believes the budget which was well delivered by the minister of finance is one of the best so far.
MP for Ablekuma Central, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, said “This budget tried to arrest the situation. The infrastructure will create avenues for people to be employed. The business friendly concession he has given will allow businesses to expand and when they expand naturally they will employ people. So for me it is the best budget he has presented for the three years he has been a Minister of Finance.”
MP for Adansi Asokwa KT Hammond and his Collegue Joe Badu Ansah have tagged the document as a propaganda machine carefully carved by the NDC government to confuse the electorates in the 2012 elections.
Kobina Tahir Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa, expressed his sentiments saying, “I think that one of the major problems we have in this country is employment and the budget has not opened the system up well for employment. And also it’s very full of propaganda. I think that the budget should be taken very seriously than it was taken. If you are presenting a budget that is not propaganda, why do you say that a levy which is not in existence has been abolished?”
Minority members are however describing the forth budget reading of the country’s financial policy by the NDC government as the last they will deliver with optimism that the NPP will capture power come 2012.
Aisha Ibrahim, e.tv Ghana
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