Our Policies Have Provided Relief In The Pockets Of Many Ordinary Ghanaians – Vice-President
The various interventions and initiatives implemented
by the Nana Akufo-Addo Government has provided financial relief for
many ordinary Ghanaians, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu
Bawumia has stated.
The impact of these interventions, which include the
largest ever reduction in electricity tariffs and the implementation of
the Free Senior High School policy, have been felt in every household in
the country, and has brought significant relief to all, according to
the Vice President.
Vice President Bawumia made the statement when he
gave the Keynote Address at the 2018 National Policy Summits at Kumasi
on Monday 23rd July, 2018.
The Policy Summit, the third in the series organised
by the Ministry of Information and focusing on the economy, is under the
theme “Assessing the Growth, Jobs and Prosperity Agenda.” It is being
attended by stakeholders and major players in Ghana’s economy, and will
assess and proffer suggestions on ways to ensure greater financial and
social inclusion.
The Vice President emphasised that the policy and
programme interventions of the Nana Akufo-Addo government are geared
towards ensuring that Ghana’s development agenda affects everyone in our
social strata and enhance social inclusion.
These measures, he indicated, have yielded and
continue to yield appreciable results in the 18 month tenure of the
Akufo-Addo presidency.
“Government’s economic policies have not only seen an
improvement in the macroeconomic indicators, it has also provided
relief to ordinary Ghanaians such as parents, kayayei, the elderly
teacher trainees, nursing trainees, unemployed graduates and many more.
“If we take the various social intervention and welfare packages
provided by government we can determine the amount of money that
government has saved the people of Ghana. These are monies that the
individual can use for something different of his or her choice.”
Enumerating some of the interventions, and the financial benefits
that have been transferred to the pockets of many Ghanaians, Vice
President Bawumia stated:
“If we take the reduction in electricity tariffs and
quantify the amount involved, we would realize that for 2018 alone, the
overall expected average annual savings on electricity bills for
Residential and Non-Residential customers as well as industries will
amount to over GHC1.8 billion. This is money that government has put in
people’s pockets indirectly.
“As government pays for the cost of flagship
programmes such as Fertilizer subsidy, Planting for Food and Jobs,
subsidy for BECE candidates, Free SHS, the expanded school feeding
programme, the expanded livelihood empowerment against poverty (LEAP),
restoration of nursing and teacher trainee allowances, national
entrepreneurship and innovation programmes for start-ups, it is directly
and indirectly putting money in people’s pockets. The total amount of
money that government has saved the Ghanaian people from paying for
these particular programmes is in excess of GHc2 billion.”
Furthermore, the abolition of and reduction of about
15 taxes in the 2017 budget provided relief to Ghanaians amounting to
GHC 1.4 billion. Also, an increase in peace-keeping allowances from $30
to $35 and an increase in the share of DACF paid to persons with
disability, have directly put monies in their pockets to the tune of
about GHc54.6 million, Vice President explained.
“The sum total of all the above is over GHC5.4 billion. This is significant relief to ordinary Ghanaians,” Dr Bawumia declared.
He noted that this does not include GHC 600 million
that will be paid annually to the 100,000 graduates who will start work
soon under the Nation Builders Corps. The graduates will be paid GHC700
per month.
“While the above does not capture all the projects
and programmes we have instituted that put money into the pockets of
people they tell a great story about how President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo cares for the ordinary Ghanaian,” the Vice President added.
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