Outspoken Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt says Ghana's economy has become extremely worse to the extent that even to serve a stranger a chilled bottle of beer, the nation will have to first go for a loan.
According to Mr. Pratt, affording a beer is no more a luxury in Ghana.
To him, Ghana doesn't have the wherewithal to buy even a bottle of beer for a visting Diplomat or Head of State.
Detailing Ghanaians on the state of the economy, Mr. Pratt was extremely worried about the President Akufo-Addo's governance stressing now, ''should a Head of State visit us and is thirsty for beer, we have to borrow before we can buy one bottle of beer''.
He added; ''As we talk today, if President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé visits us and wants to drink tea, we have to use loan to make the tea for him. That is the reality. No, but that is the truth. That is how graphic you can paint the picture. When he comes and even desires to eat konkonte, we have to go for loan.''
Aside giving a stranger a bottle of beer becoming a problem for Ghana, Mr. Pratt also lamented that except the country borrows, the President cannot have petrol in his vehicle to move around.
''If an incident has happened at Nima and if the President must move from Flagstaff House to Nima, we can't buy petrol into his car if we don't go for a loan. 128 percent of your total national revenue is expended on two-line items; public sector emoluments and debt servicing. How much is left to buy petrol into his (President) car," he stated.
In his candid opinion, if only Ghana will progress, there must be a change of attitude and better way of managing the economy.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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GHANAIANS ARE JOKERS NO COUNTRY BORROWED TO FUND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IS ONLY A COUNTRY THAT IS SICK. ALLOW PEOPLE TO PAY TAXES NOT TO LEAVE FOR FREE, A COUNTRY LIKE RUSSIA, USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, AND OTHER MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES DO NOT BORROWED TO FUND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, PAY GOVERNMENT WORKERS PURE ***barred word***. NO COUNTRY WANT THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO. NO FREE LUNCH ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY TAXES TO FUND YOUR ROADS USE YOUR MOUTH TO PAVE YOUR ROADS. TAKE A LOOK AT THE GHANA CEDI, ANYTIME BANK OF GHANA SELLS DOLLARS GUTA AND THEIR PEOPLE GET A CHUNK OF IT TO IMPORT ALL KINDS OF sh*t INTO THE COUNTRY INSTEAD FORCUSING ON THE COUNTRY'S LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION THAT IS WHAT IS KILLING THE CEDI TO BE THE WORST PERFORMING CURRENCY INTHE WORLD. GHANAIANS SHOULD TELL THE WORLD WHAT VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS DO GHANA EXPORTS TO EARN FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO SHORE UP THE CEDIS GHANA ONLY EXPORT RAW MATERIALS WHICH DOESN'T GET NOTHING MUCH. SO WE NEED TO EXPORT MUCH ADDED VALU TO GAIN FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO SHORE UP THE LOCAL CURRENCY AND THAT IS WHAT PRESIDENT NANA ADDO TRYING TO DO BY ONE DISTRICT ONE FACTORY. TO CHANGE THE PARADIM SHIFT TO GET MORE FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO HELP THE CEDI/
Hahahaaaa, this pratt guy is narrow minded. He should have also told us the number of people among the 30 million plus population who actually pay taxes, question is do government have the capacity to collect more? Why not come out with alternatives as to what government can do to bring every tax payer on board. Currently if you are awarded a contract in Ghana, 5% is deducted from the contract sum as direct tax. Now the masons, carpenters, electricians, plumbers including the foreman charge the contractor for work done. The whole amount is paid to them without tax, same applies to people who engages the services of these artisans. If you have a country where people earn income and refuse to pay tax,where do you expect government to get money to fund its budget. However the lifestyle of politicians also discourage those who should pay taxes to runaway from their civic duty. You are given a V8 vehicle, free fuel, electricity, water, accommodation and still paid a huge salary at the end of the month, whose tax should they use for you to enjoy. Meanwhile these tax payers have bad roads leading to their residence, some do not have potable water in their areas, electricity to some of these areas is lacking so they will be asking what their taxes are used for
@Daniel: I had proposed this position for this pratt before 2016 election. NPP will do themselves better by IGNORING pratt. His praises are but venomous fluid, how much more his opposition?
This guy is just something. He never wises up. Was the same guy who went about rumoring that a minister was seriously sick. It turned out to be false. Yet, he still has the effrontery to continue with his pettiness. He knows no shame. Kinda journalist indeed!
Silence is the best response to this Pratt guy.