NMP was a drain on resources

The Minister of Finance, Yaw Osafo-Maafo has described the National Mobilisation Programme (NMP) as a "drain on government's resources" for which 1.25 billion cedis was being spent monthly on the emolument of its employees for "doing practically nothing".

Mr Osafo-Maafo, told a New Patriotic Party (NPP) rally at Akyem Swedru, that the government's decision to close down the NMP was irrevocable "since there is no legal backing for the organisation".

He reiterated that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had not been abolished, rather it was being re-organised under a new name - National Emergency Relief Programme - to ensure that "competent personnel" manned it.

The Finance Minister said the government's sound economic policies were attracting foreign investors to the country. The Minister of Communication and Technology, Mr Felix Owusu-Agyapong explained that the government's decision not to renew the Ghana Telecom agreement with the present management was to ensure efficiency in the telecommunication industry.

He said the government wanted "competent investors" to take over from the Malaysians so that the "present inefficiency associated with the telecommunication system in the country would be a thing of the past."

Mr Owusu Agyapong, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akyem Swedru, said that a number of development projects had been earmarked for the constituency this year adding that the government would never indulge in vain promises.

The National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Haruna Esseku, said the windfall currently being earned by the country from the fall in the world market price of crude oil was being used to service the huge indebtedness of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis-Mensah urged party supporters not to be misled by negative propaganda being peddled by the opponents of the government but to stand solidly behind it.

The General Secretary of the party, Mr Dan Botwe said one positive achievement of the government was that Ghanaians "are now at peace with their neighbouring countries and people do not fear to go to those countries as it used to be in the past."