General News of Tuesday, 9 March 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

SoNA 2021: 'We are good managers of the economy' - Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo play videoPresident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that the interventions his government has made in the last year and over, due to the effects of the coronavirus, to make the lives of Ghanaians comfortable show that they are good managers of the economy.

Also, he explained that all those projects show that they are better protectors of the public purse.

Addressing Parliament during his first State of the Nation Address of his second term of office as president, Nana Akufo-Addo outlined some of the interventions that support his claim of being better managers of the economy.

He also explained that knowing very well that some of those measures could cripple the economy, they still went ahead with them because it was to make the lives and livelihoods of the Ghanaian people comfortable, amid the ravaging consequences of the coronavirus.

"I indicated at the time that, 'we know what to do to bring the economy back to life; what we do not know how to do is to bring people back to life. That is why government did not hesitate to institute measures to protect the lives and livelihoods of the Ghanaian even if it was to the temporary detriment of our much-sort after fiscal stability.

"The formulation and implementation the COVID-19 Preparedness and Implementation plan treatment, waiver of ... income tax and 50% basic salary allowance to healthcare workers, expanding the capacities of laboratories to increase COVID-19 testing, the establishment of isolation centers in all regions and districts, fumigation of markets and schools, provision of food packages and hot meals for residents in areas affected by the partial lockdown, provision of free water for all households, provision of free electricity for lifeline consumers and a 50% for all other consumers... My government found the resources to cushion the impact of the pandemic because we are good managers of the economy and we are good protectors of the public purse," he explained.