General News of Sunday, 16 October 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

Fix the ailing economy – Bawumia to Mahama

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has come at President John Mahama again, asking him to fix “a collapsed economy” and stop punching holes into the New Patriotic Party’s 2016 manifesto.

The NPP vice presidential candidate said he finds it “amazing” that Mahama could have the confidence to claim that the NPP’s proposal for the economy will not work.

“The NDC and President Mahama are going around saying that these tax reductions as part of our comprehensive programme of economic reform and our manifesto promises will ruin the economy. I am so baffled,” the former deputy governor of the Central Bank said.

“You are the President and you have presided in eight years over the collapse of our economy. If you knew the plan that could work with the economy and be successful, why haven’t you implemented that plan in eight years?” he asked while interacting with students of the Nyankpala Campus of the University for Development Studies.

Nana Akufo-Addo’s Running Mate advised the President that he should focus on making the economy he has “ruined” work in the short time he has left and noted that the President’s record disqualifies him from becoming a judge on what will work or not work for the Ghanaian economy.

“If you know what can work for our economy, why is the economy collapsing in your hands after eight years? You clearly don’t understand the economic plans underpinning the NPP manifesto; your task is to make our economy work and is clear you cannot do it so you clearly have no legs to stand on in saying that the NPP plan cannot work because your own plan has collapsed the economy and we are bringing a new plan for the economy and this new plan will work”, he stated.

Dr. Bawumia recalled the record of the Kufuor-NPP Administration which reduced Corporate Taxes to stimulate the private sector, create growth and at the same time cause an increase in government revenue and reiterated the pledge by the NPP to introduce more of such policies to create growth and jobs and revive the economy.

“We reduced taxes under the NPP – corporate taxes were brought down from 32% to 25% and at the same time we saw a major increase in revenue and so it makes economic sense and we are going to focus on production. The President for now should focus on fixing the collapsed economy,” he noted.

Dr. Bawumia has been touring Constituencies in the Northern region since Tuesday. He has so far toured the Nanton, Kumbungu and Tolon Constituencies.