Prof. Mills Rubbishes NPP's economic policies, governance

"COME January 2005, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will fix realistic, affordable prices for petroleum products and electricity, water, transport, rent and other basic needs to remove the untold hardships that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has inflicted on Ghanaians since it assumed office," declares Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the party's flag-bearer.

Speaking at a press conference at the party's headquarters in Accra yesterday, Prof. Mills said that the electricity bill of an ordinary Ghanaian who uses 100 kilowatts of power per month increased from ?10,000 in December 2000 to ?55,000 in May 2003 which represents an increase of over 450 percent in less than two-and-half years.

Within Accra, the price of a bucket of water increased from ?300 to ?700 between December 2000 and May this year while a 15 kilogram cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has risen from ?15,000 to ?55,000 representing an over 350 percent increase.

Flanked by Dr. Obed Asamoah, party chairman and other party gurus, Prof. Mills said a one bed-roomed rental unit in Accra has jumped from ?30,000 per month in December 2000 to ?80,000 in June 2003, representing more than 150 percent increase. On education, Prof Mills noted that since assuming office, the NPP a

dministration has increased primary and junior secondary school fees by over 140 percent and currently a first year student at the Senior Secondary School (SSS) pays ?1.5 million, up from the ?520,000 that was paid about two years ago.

Prof. Mills wondered how people were going to educate their children in the public universities in a situation where a medical student will pay ?60 million against the previous ?20 million whilst a law student pays ?15 million instead of ?5 million.

He warned that if the situation was not reversed, only the rich could educate their children.

Prof. Mills, who lost to President J.A. Kufuor in the last presidential election, accused the government of mismanaging the GETFund that was set up by the NDC to cater for tertiary institutions, saying disbursement of the fund is currently in arrears of about ?550 billion due to misapplication by the finance ministry.

The District Assemblies Common Fund which was set up to address district level developmental needs, is also in arrears of about ?450 billion whilst the Road Fund is suffering a similar fate.

Prof. Mills also described HIPC as "a political moneybag" for the NPP government and therefore must have the first call on the government's resources, a situation he described as wrong, unconstitutional, illegal, non- transparent and inequitable.

He argued that GETFund, Road Fund and the District Assemblies Common Fund are constitutionally mandated which should have the first charges on the budget and whose disbursement is circumscribed and controlled by rules and independent bodies for the purpose of transparency and equity.

However the government has deliberately allowed these bodies to fall in arrears, diverting the funds into the HIPC Relief Fund.

Exhibiting his professorship, Mills gave a new acronym for HIPC as -"H" for Hardships, "I" for Incompetence, "P" for Parochialism and "C" for Corruption. In other words, he said, "Ghanaians are suffering from hardships due to incompetence, parochialism and corruption".

However Prof. Mills refuted the allegations by the ruling government that it was the NDC that left the country in bad economic state, describing it as absurd.

He stated that come 2004 election the NDC would put disappointment on the faces of those who think the party cannot come to power, adding that the NDC has the resources to make this happen.