Ignore Mahama’s call for credit on economic gains - Govt
The government says claims by former President John Mahama that he should be credited for the current economic gains must be ignored.
The former President is reported to have stated that his administration is responsible for the growth of the economy and not the current Akufo-Addo government.
He also accused the current government of only reaping from his hard work which he claims is the reason why Ghana’s economy is considered as fast-growing in Africa.
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False claims
But addressing journalists in Accra on Wednesday, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said Mr Mahama’s claims were false.
He said the economic programmes and interventions by the current Akufo-Addo administration have extensively contributed to the current economic growth appreciated by the Global Community.
“If you look at the breakdown of what the Ghana Statistical Service has provided, Agriculture for example in 2016 was at 2.9 per cent but after the many interventions in the sector and the introduction of three clear programmes under the NPP administration namely Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development and Rearing for Food and Jobs, Agric in 2018 grew to 4.8 per cent”.
Mahama’s era
Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the industry under the Mahama administration was 4.3 per cent, and again “we were quite clear with our interventions for the energy sector, we said the energy was a financial matter, not a technical matter. The energy was not available for manufacturing to function. We said we were going to put in place proper financial arrangements to ensure that those we have to service to keep lights on, get the necessary attention and today manufacturing plants are firing up….in 2018 Industry was at 10.6 per cent due to these clear policies. So how do we give Mr Mahama credit for these growth” he said.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah further questioned the logic of the former President’s argument when the NDC did not make such claims in 2011.
“In 2011 when the Mills Mahama administration chalked economic growth of 14 per cent, the NDC never said credit should be given to President Kufour ......Then he will by extension be saying we should blame him for the reduction in services in 2018 which he refuses to say in this instance” he added.
The Minister of Information said former President Mahama now the flagbearer of the NDC is only seeking to either criticise the government or take some credit as part of his political enterprise.
Background
A World Bank Report recently named Ghana among the four fastest-growing economies in Africa. The other African countries include Ethiopia, Rwanda and Cote d’Ivoire.
Speaking on the matter at a meeting with NDC members in the United Kingdom (UK), Mr Mahama said the growth achievement which is being "trumpeted" by the Akufo-Addo government, came about as a result of his administration's sterling performance in office before the current government took over.
"Whatever is responsible for the growth, the growth is only in the oil sector", Mr Mahama said, adding: "All that growth, fastest-growing economy in the world, it's the oil sector".
"And where are those revenues coming from?" he asked.
"They are from the TEN field and the Sankofa field that we worked on in our [NDC] time", he said.
"And that made me [Mahama], in 2016, say that Ghana was going to be the fastest-growing economy in the world and that we are going to grow above eight per cent. I predicted it before they came into office", Mr Mahama noted.