Accra (Greater Accra) 27 February 2002- Mr Moses Asaga, the Minority Spokesman on Finance, on Tuesday said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has an alternative budget that could drive the economy at a rate of 5.5 per cent and above.
"The 4.5 growth rate target is too low. If the NPP can not perform better than these figures then they better throw in the towel." Mr Asaga was contributing to the motion to approve the financial policy of the government for the year ending 31 December 2002.
"The budget can best be described as a "Kwashiokor Budget". It lacks focus, had no new development policies and lacks the ingredients for a strong growth in the country." He said the seemingly macro-economic stability last year was as a result of low crude prices, averagely high cocoa and gold prices and favourable international commodities market.
"Therefore, government should not go to town drumming and dancing. We should not forget too soon that in 1998/98, inflation in Ghana was 9.8 per cent, the cedi depreciated only by 4 per cent, interest rates fell to a low 19 per cent and base rate at 30 per cent."
Mr Asaga said the honeymoon is gone, the days of "na-who cause-am" are gone forever and the government must sit up and fulfil its promises made to Ghanaians. Mr Asaga criticised government for adopting the Highly Indebted poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
"Is it not a shame for us to be clapping and dancing because we have now been officially admitted to the club of poor nation? I expected us to remain sober, sad and rather vow to work hard like the Koreans did in the 1970's."
He said: "Government is now forced to raise more revenue and that is why our fiscal policy is crowded with increased taxes and levies." Mr Asaga said government under HIPC would remove all subsidies on agriculture inputs and utilities.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was mortgaging Ghana's future. "Ghana's economy is now solely dependent on IMF/World Bank donation. We call it 'lalasulala'. The NPP which was averse to IMF/World Bank driven-economy two years ago are now singing praises to the Breton Wood institutions." Mr Asaga commended government for continuing the infrastructure expansion projects initiated by the NDC government.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 February 2002- Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday directed Mr Doe Adjaho to use the appropriate channel to seek clarification on matters, which he was accusing the government for acting unconstitutionally in spending money without first coming to Parliament for approval.
He said Mr Adjaho had raised some of the points on last year's budget, which the Finance Minister had explained extensively and yet he was still referring to those matters in this year's budget.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who was raising a point of order on the contribution of Mr Adjaho, said the member could come by way of a question to the Minister of Finance to explain to the House.
Quoting Article 176 of the Constitution, which authorises Parliament as the only body to vote expenditure for the government, Mr Adjaho said it was right for the government to equip the Police but that it was wrong for it to begin buying vehicles for the service without Parliamentary approval.
Mr Adjaho contributing to the 2002 budget debate quoted the Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo as stating in the document that "government recently acquired 50 vehicles for the Police at with very concessional terms with the intervention of the President of Nigeria."
Mr Adjaho said this transaction was not channelled through Parliament and accused the NPP government for acting unconstitutionally adding, "I am surprised the budget did not tell us where they are getting the money from".
He said when he checked from various sources there was only "money on vote" of 840 dollars, which could only buy eight of the 50 Peugeot cars that the government has already bought for the Police.
Mr Adjaho asked where did the government get the money from and at that juncture Mr J. H. Mensah, Senior Minister interrupted and asked Mr Adjaho "where did the money the MPs were to buy their cars come from".
Mr Adjaho further accused the government for establishing the Emergency Relief Social Fund and Women Development Fund without passing it through Parliament and asked whether the money to generate the fund were not coming from the Consolidated Fund.
He said last year government paid 5,474.5 billion cedis on external debt and was to pay 6,894.6 this year while the country had adopted the highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and that debt payment should rather decrease and should not be on the increase. "Under the HIPC we are not paying any debts and if we are servicing debt why should the debt servicing be growing higher?" Mr Adjaho asked.
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