The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi says nothing but the mismanagement and reckless spending of the government is all to blame for the country’s present economic woes.
Contrary to assertions by the government, he says the present economic situation of the country cannot be blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sammy Gyamfi was addressing a press conference in Accra to react to government’s decision to reverse benchmark discounts on selected imported products.
President Akufo-Addo during his Christmas Message to the nation asserted that the pandemic has affected every sector of the global economy and national life, visiting its ravages on virtually everything.
Read also: There are brighter days ahead for Ghana - President Akufo-Addo @ Christmas
However Sammy Gyamfi says the same Covid-19 Pandemic affected regional neighbours Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast but whose economies are doing far better than Ghana’s economy.
“It is worthy to note that, several countries in the sub-region such as Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, among others, have better budget deficit, debt to GDP ratio and other economic indices than Ghana despite being hit by the COVID pandemic. None of these countries has slapped their citizenry with the kind of draconian revenue measures the Ghanaian people are witnessing at the hands of the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. Therefore, COVID-19 can neither be a reasonable justification for the reversal of benchmark discounts on imported products nor the imposition of unprecedented hardships and misery on Ghanaians by this government.”
Sammy Gyamfi insisted that the “catastrophic decision” by government to remove the benchmark discounts on imported products “has been occasioned by the self-inflicted economic malice we find ourselves with our economy in tatters and government simply unable to find money to do anything.”
He accused the government of economic mismanagement and reckless election drive for the past five years.
"The Akufo-Addo, Bawumia NPP government has decided to punish the already burdened Ghanaian people with more hardship for their own recklessness and economic mismanagement. This is why all manner of crippling taxes and killer revenue measures such as the reversal of benchmark value discounts are being imposed on suffering Ghanaians to shore up government's revenue just to create an artificial picture of a sound economy in order to convince the investor community on more and more borrowing. So don't be deceived that this policy has been introduced because government wants to support AGI and local manufacturers, it is not true. The reason for the introduction of this draconian policy is revenue and nothing else. Government is broke."
Background
Government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), announced that effective January 4, 2022, benchmark values on some 43 selected items would be reversed.
Government in 2019 introduced the benchmark policy in accordance with the World Customs Organisation’s policy of regular review of valuation database, bringing a sigh of relief to importers and the business community, that previously complained of exorbitant customs duties.
Source: Graphiconline.com
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He has to make noise to maintain his position. The Ndc internal election is just around the corner, sometime this year or early next year.
You NDC guys are worse than COVID..... you guys are the cause of Ghana's problems. (P)NDC ruled this country for about 27 years with nothing to show us and you are here talking trash. This small boy will destroy the NDC if he is not checked by the elders in that party. Sammy Gyamfi take your propaganda to China make we be. You are making too much noise in our ears without proposing any alternative solution to our problems.
Sammy Gyamfi you and your NDC supporters are not the only people in the world. The whole world economy is in trouble.Even in opposition you and your cohorts live in luxury. Only last week, former president Mahama brother's funeral, I counted more than 60 V8 line as a convoy going to the funeral. People who are suffering do not live in luxury life.
There is one important point which should be made in order to create a clear disection for an informed discussion. I will exhibit the fact that the economy of Ghana before COVID was better and it was wildly acclaimed and accepted that it was one of the fastest growing economies in the world. True or false? In fact, the Akufo-Administration is not solely claiming that the present economic challenges are solely the cause of the pandemic and not, among other things, namelich, a deficit in revenue collection, youth unemployment, and a weak production base. Those challenges were foreseen even before COVID and the coming of the Akufo-Addo administration. Hence, the construct of his thought through flagship policy projects like 1D1F, planting for food, and technical and skill training incorporated into his education policy, FSHS-policy. You would agree with me that the benefits of those flagship projects take time to mature. But if we acknowledge where we are coming from and wish to go, we will appreciate the effort being made by the current government. That aspires to us living a decent life and being able to manage our own basic needs without the assistance of others. This will go a long way towards freeing us from the dependency of the colonial economic system on producing raw materials for foreign economies. I hope the NDC cohorts will keep their own counsel and come out to criticize the policy constructively with alternative, better solutions. Rather than dwelling on understaments to incenuate populist political polemics and baseless propaganda.
@Sammy Gyamfi, take your childishness off us this year ok. We are too wise and open minded to know what is good and bad. Not your every day childish propaganda.
Even without Covid, you and your incompetent Mahama were hallucinating on why you were not performing. seriously incompetent team.