NPP interested in housing for the Upper Class - NDC

Accra, Nov. 27, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government is more interested in housing the Upper Class as seen in the in-filling of plots at Cantonments, Ridge, Roman Ridge and Airport Residential Areas of Accra.

This was contained in "NDC Response to the 2007 Budget Statement and Economic Policy" read by Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, (NDC) Ranking Member of Finance and Economic Planning, at a press conference in Accra on Monday.

He said "very plush and expensive houses to be acquired and inhabited by the Upper Class have been built on them", while "the low cost houses for the poor to cost less than 10,000 dollars promised in 2001 Budget are yet to see the light of day".

Dr Kumbuor said: "The proposed flat registration of land fees is discriminatory, because land at Bunkprugpu is worth much less than East Legon land and charging a flat 350,000 cedis registration fee for up to an acre of land anywhere in Ghana is unfair."

He said the NPP Government collapsed some businesses as a result of the ill-advised imposition of a National Reconstruction Levy and "if it has now realized that this levy must be removed no praises are required".

The NDC Ranking member said it was a pity that with all the noise the NPP made about broadening the tax base only 350,000 employees in the private sector paid income tax.

He said "the problem facing the NHIS are now legendary by the end of 2006 only 34 per cent of the population would have been registered and only 18 per cent would have been issued with ID cards.

"The problems anticipated by NDC in Parliament and, which the NPP ignored and single-handedly passed the NHIS Law are being experienced now", he said, adding; "the scheme is simply not working; the obnoxious 91cash and carry system' is still operative". 27 Nov. 06