The Akufo-Addo Jubilee is seeking a whopping Ghc1.52 billion more money as budgetary allocation to the Presidency.
The humongous extra cash includes Ghc4million for government propaganda, euphemized as ‘government communications.’
The Jubilee House is asking for all of this extra money after it presented a budget that calls on the rest of the Ghanaian people to tighten their belts because there is no money.
MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, notes that the Akufo-Addo government is seeking more comfort for itself at the expense of the people, saying that attitude is unacceptable.
“When a government appeals to the people to share the burden, admonishes workers not to expect significant wage increases, seeks to impose numerous taxes during this period of considerable economic hardship – that government must be seen to be leading by example so that the people it leads may give them a listening ear,” he said.
“As I noted in Parliament during the debate on the 2021 Budget Statement, the Akufo-Addo Administration continues to engage in profligate expenditure while asking the people to tighten their belts.”
He points out that Government is also yet to explain exactly what it intends to do with an astonishing GHS500million it has set aside for so-called “Other Critical Spending” which is captured on page 226.
“I reiterate that the GHS4million being sought for government communications (a beautiful euphemism for government propaganda) which it describes as a flagship programme at page 241 of the Budget is absolutely needless,” Hon. Ablakwa said.
He points out that, these five items listed above amount to a mind-boggling GHS1.52billion, adding that the same government has carried out substantial cuts in the allocations to the Judiciary, NCCE, Free SHS, MASLOC, NABCO and many others.
“It is therefore not surprising that many Ghanaians including organized labour refuse to be convinced by its draconian revenue measures,” Hon. Ablakwa added.
Whatsupnewsghana
