Kufuor delivers State of the Nation Address

AUDIO: Part 1
President John Agyekum Kufuor has delivered his second State of the Nation address since he took over as president and said his government is on course.

Kufuor addressing Parliamentarians, Ministers and a large crowd including former president, Jerry Rawlings who listened to his successor from the public gallery reiterated the deplorable nature of the country when he took over and said strides have been made.

“Mr. Speaker, after a difficult but eventful year’s stewardship, I am happy to report, with all humility and without any trace of complacency that our nation is in good state, certainly better than what it was at this time last year.

Our democracy is deepening, the economy is stabilizing, tensions from social intolerance and violent criminality are lessening and government is listening more and more to the people.”

Among what the minority NDC is referring to as some of the controversial statements made by the President which if the rules of the House permitted could have spark off debate even as he speaks is, “For 20 years, previous governments had, divided society and victimized perceived rich people under the pretext of seeking to improve the lot of the so-called “mobrowa,” in other words, the suffering masses.

The predictable result was the explosion in the number of desperately poor families and an even bigger increase in the gap between the few really rich and the many poor. The budding private sector, which was even then being touted as the engine of growth, became stunted and could not grow.”

Some members of the minority have taken strong exceptions to those statements and said they do not promote the much-needed reconciliation.

Speaking on the controversial HIPC initiative adopted last year, President Kufuor told Parliament that the West African country would reach what is known as the ‘decision point’ in the next few weeks.

Ghana’s creditors having been convinced that the country deserves a respite would take a decision on how much relief they would grant the country in its indebtedness. “The indication for the G8 member countries, the world’s richest nations, who are our main creditors, are that we can expect a total write-off from most of them,” Kufuor said amidst shouts of ‘hear, hear’ from the majority. Meanwhile, for adopting the initiative, Ghana’s creditors have suspended transfers of 200 million US dollars, which would have gone into paying interest on debts this past year.

On the government’s macro-economic achievements, Kufuor said inflation, which raged at 40.5 per cent in December 2000, has now come down to 21.3 per cent and is still falling.

According to the President, the cedi also stabilized against the major currencies and recorded a marginal annual depreciation of only 3.6 per cent as compared to an annual depreciation of 91.5 per cent in the year 2000.

Kufuor said the economic achievements did not come by contracting the economy, “or as some people would have us believe, just by cutting government expenditure. On the contrary, our promise to clear all public sector arrears is on track. All the arrears on the District Assemblies Fund and the Ghana Education Trust Fund, which we inherited, have been cleared.”

The President was grateful to Ghanaians for accepting to go along with the rather difficult and stringent economic measures introduced last year, but warns of tougher measures. There are indications that utility tariffs would go up this year.

The government’s development priorities as stated by the president in his sessional address are:

1. Vigorous infrastructural development,
2. Modernised agriculture centered on rural development,
3. Enhanced social services with special emphasis on education and health,
4. Good Governance and
5. Private sector development.

Under infrastructure, government says it will start with the development of most of the major roads in the country. According to the president, the strategic roads leading out of the nation’s capital, Accra-Yamoransa, Accra-Aflao and Accra-Kumasi, which have been on the drawing board for a long time would be tackled this year.

Other areas to receive attention are air travel, mass transportation, ports, energy and telecommunication.

On health, Kufuor reassured expectant Ghanaians that the “dreaded” cash and carry system would be abolished and replaced by a health insurance scheme, by the end of the first term of his administration.

“Already, the necessary studies have been completed. A number of health insurance schemes have been initiated on pilot basis.”

The president reiterated his commitment to the development of the capacity of the police service, the prisons service, the armed forces and the public services, which he said has been heavily policised.

In his comments on the National Reconciliation Commission, President Kufuor said, “It was a matter of deep regret to me that there was such acrimony during the debates. Let me state here clearly that there is no hidden agenda on my part in the matter of this law.

Government seeks only to provide an opportunity for those who have been aggrieved to air their grievances and for the state to intervene to secure the appropriate redress so the nation will be reconciled to move forward in unity and harmony. It never intended, nor does it intend to target any particular person or group for persecution.”

Former President Rawlings who listened attentively to the address together with his wife refused to make public his impressions about the address saying, “I do not want to prejudice what the people will say. I would like to listen to them first before making public my own thoughts on the address,” adding he has his own views.

NDC minority members in the House have already started criticizing the address setting the tone for an expected heated debate on the address.

Some of the MPs are not happy with the fact that the president failed to acknowledge the presence of the former president, saying he could found a way of recognizing his presence.

According to Second Deputy Speaker, Ken Dzirasah said Rawlings’ presence in Parliament was historic being the only living former leader, the president should have recognised his presence which to him, would go a long way to set the tone for reconciliation and also demonstrate to the teeming supporters of the two dominant parties (NPP and NDC) that their leaders are together.

Debate on the address is likely to commence on Tuesday next week.